Hunterdon Medical Center Nurse Will Travel To Kenya To Help Children With AIDS

Published August 1, 2008

Cyndy Martinez, RN, CEN, a nurse in the Emergency Department at Hunterdon Medical Center was selected to be part of a medical team that will travel to Kenya, Africa from October 14-28th as part of Hope Teams International.  Ms. Martinez will help provide medical care and health education to the people of Oyugis and neighboring communities. 

"Our primary goal is working with AIDS orphans in this area, but we will also be providing general medical care as well as assessing the needs of the community to help establish a medical clinic for the people of this region," stated Ms. Martinez.  Ms. Martinez explained, "HIV/AIDS has a one in four infection rate in this part of Africa and the number of orphaned children who have lost both their parents to the disease is growing each day.  There are about 100 children in the small community I will visit that have been identified and their needs are tremendous."

Ms. Martinez is collecting supplies that are needed to help this community which include: Vitamins (adult and children's), Antibiotic ointments, scabies/lice shampoo, tooth brushes, toothpaste, Tums, Rolaids, Zantanc, Tagamet, Ibuprofen, Tylenol (adult and children's), Eye/Ear antibiotics, Skin Ointments (antifungal.anti-itch), Dressings/gauze, tape and band aids.    On August 25th and 28th Ms. Martinez will be collecting supplies from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. outside the cafeteria at Hunterdon Medical Center.