You don’t expect to find your next new project at a wine tasting party, but connections are very important in medicine. While at a fellow classmate’s house for some wine and snacks, I got to know a PA from Mather who made a life changing statement, “If you’re into international medicine, you have to meet Galo.” Galo Burbano, a CRNA at Mather started Blanca’s House, a Long Island based medical, surgical and dental mission group, which travels all over Central and South America for week-long missions. Missions incorporate persons from multiple surgical specialties, pediatrics, internal medicine, anesthesia, dentistry, and nursing. The volunteers that join these missions are among the most dedicated and compassionate that a person can meet.

Posted on 04/20/2012

On Friday, April 20, a few hundred people gathered at East Wind in Wading River to honor a group of men and women in the health care community who have provided critical medical services to the needy more than three thousand miles from home.

Blanca’s House was founded by Galo Burbano to honor and celebrate the memory of his loving mother, who selflessly cared for friends and family. He is a nurse-anesthetist from Ecuador, who was determined to use his training to bring medical care to the underprivileged children of his native country. Blanca’s House is named for his mother.

It is a volunteer-only organization that arranges for health care professionals to spend time helping people who would otherwise have no access to modern health care. Mr. Burbano has worked in his medical field for more than 20 years. Today, he is the chief nurse-anesthetist for Long Island Nurse Anesthetists, a practice that provides anesthetists for Mather, St. Charles and Eastern Long Island hospitals.

Galo was determined to give back. Inspired by his mother’s power of example, he decided to provide free medical care to the poor and needy of his native country and other poor people in developing countries. He gathered together physicians and other health care professionals and volunteers he knew from his practice at Mather and St. Charles Hospitals and organized the first Blanca’s House mission trip.

The organization continues to grow and continues to inspire people from within the medical community and outside the medical community to donate their time and talent to support Blanca’s mission: “Every Child Counts, Every Family Matters.”

The ballroom at East Wind was on fire with positive energy and support for this powerful mission. People gathered to celebrate and honor this year’s honorees: Dr. Richard and Mrs. Lynn Savino, Dr. Kenneth and Mrs. Lori Kneessy, Linda Gotlieb, N.P., Mark Gotlieb, and Frank McCoy, P.T. and Erin McCoy. These generous men and women gave countless hours to the service of the poor. Listening to their experiences was an inspiration. Their passion for the mission is contagious.

The co-chairman of the board of directors, Dr. Nicholas Craig also introduced and acknowledged an extensive list of volunteer professionals that make every trip possible. It was amazing to see so many people stand, who have become such an integral part of this amazing human outreach.

We live in a world that tends to be so selfish and self-serving. It was so refreshing to be among so many caring and giving professionals. Each of the honorees and the countless other volunteers from Blanca’s House give so much of themselves against the landscape that too often is narcissistic and self-serving. There were so many stories of hope and renewed life that were given birth through these mission trips for people who are on the verge of just giving up.

As an invited guest, I left that night of celebration renewed in spirit. It is no secret that these are difficult times. So many families are struggling economically and emotionally. Countless people are without work. A growing number of people fear losing their employment.

However, none of that seemed to matter on that Friday night at East Wind. People from every walk of life were there to affirm and celebrate this powerful mission of serving the poorest of the poor who are struggling medically.

As a community, we are abundantly blessed with very generous, caring people. There are so many programs that reach out and make a profound difference in people’s lives — the countless soup kitchens that provide nutritious, healthy meals for the poor, the needy and the elderly. Many of our worshiping communities sponsor outreach programs for people in need who live locally. They do not discriminate. They provide a wide range of vital human services that are shrinking by the day in our larger community.

We live at a time in American history, when government is doing less and less. People have less access to basic human services. We basically have to make do with what we have. Medical care is outrageously expensive and not equally available to all people. Seeing so many highly respected members of the medical community sacrifice their time and share their talents with the poorest of the poor is extraordinary.

Our young people desperately need positive role models that lead by example. On that Friday night, that room was filled to overflowing with positive role models, with men and women committed to compassion and care for others. You could truly feel that “Every Child Counts and Every Family Matters.”

Fr. Pizzarelli is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.