I was invited to speak at the Karl Storz company about the use of their state of the art surgical instruments that they generously donated to Worldwide Healing Hands. During my visit they shared with me their core values one of which was:
“Support of humanity through charitable work and help to the underprivileged.”
I was privileged to tour the facility and visit their demonstration operating room which was so advanced that it looked like something from the future. I was so impressed with this innovative company that I was inspired to tell you this story.
After our mission to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, I came home with an overwhelming sense of inadequacy because of the inability to help women with treatable and preventable medical problems due to the lack of equipment.
I was even more determined than ever to help women and in my despair I wrote a letter to Mrs. Sybill Storz in Germany requesting a donation of surgical instruments to help alleviate these problems in women.
Less than a month later I received a phone call from Suzanne at the Karl Storz company saying that Mrs. Storz was so moved by my letter and she would like to donate the surgical equipment we needed. I was overwhelmed by their generosity and impressed with the professionalism of how the company put this request into action.
This surgical equipment has traveled around the world with me and has been instrumental in alleviating suffering in many women by correcting treatable medical problems such as abnormal bleeding. Hysteroscopy is a procedure where a tiny camera that is introduced through the cervix to look inside the uterus. This procedure is used to diagnose and treat problems of the uterus such as abnormal bleeding. It has saved women from having unnecessary hysterectomies.
This technology also gives women a choice in their family planning by enabling us to perform sterilization procedures in women who have completed their childbearing. Hysteroscopic sterilization (Essure) is a simple, effective and safe procedure that does not involve cutting, hormones or general anesthesia. This procedure has been available in the US since 2002.
I am deeply grateful to this wonderful company for their support of women’s health worldwide.