NUEVO CASAS GRANDES, Mexico — Utah doctors holding a dental clinic in this city adjoining the Mormon Colony of Colonia Dublan on Oct. 16-17 not only treated patients living in economically depressed conditions, but also helped treat an accident victim.
Among those treated were dozens from a local Mennonite community.
Dr. Todd Liston, his wife, Kara, and daughter, Brynne, of Pleasant View, Utah, and Dr. Mark Blaisdell and his daughter, Mariah, from Bountiful, Utah, traveled to this city in the state of Chihuahua and held the clinic in the APNMI Center.
The center was started by Church members Ed and Gayle Whetten of Colonia Juarez in 1993.
Also participating as volunteers were Elder Gary J. Coleman of the Seventy, president of the Mexico North Area, his wife, Sister Judy Coleman, and missionaries from the Mexico Chihuahua Mission. Elder and Sister Coleman helped organize 10 large containers of supplies for the clinic. The items were collected during Eagle Scout projects by Cameron Decker and Jake Andersen of Pleasant View, Utah.
As the clinic opened, a 20-year-old woman came, carrying her X-rays. She had been in a car accident the previous day and had broken her jaw. A local doctor sent her to Ciudad Juarez, about four hours away. There, she was told that they could not help her, so she returned only to learn from an aunt of the local clinic.
An oral surgeon, Dr. Liston had felt impressed to bring an arch wire kit despite plans to only do simple procedures. With the kit, and the help of a local dentist, Dr. Lourdes Baca, Dr. Liston set the broken bone and wired the young woman's mouth shut to hold the break in place. Dr. Baca planned to take care of post-operative procedures.
The APNMI center, or Association of Parents of Mentally Disabled Children, has a therapy gym, a special education school, "The Seagull," and a medical facility that includes dental chairs. The center's mission is to help with medical care, education, social services and emotional support. The services are provided without charge to those in need by the legally registered non-profit organization.
Among the recent fund-raising activities for the center was a concert initiated by a gifted 17-year-old aspiring concert pianist, Denisse Avena, who wanted to make a difference. The concert was held at the Juarez Academy and more than 1,000 tickets were sold. Proceeds were used to help sponsor additional dental clinics.