The Very First Patient - With Down's Syndrome - Won Her Heart In A Flash

Nicole works as a dentist/oral surgeon in eastern Switzerland. For two weeks, she swapped her practice to work in Madagascar under the most basic conditions. She told Rolf Frey from “IDEA-SCHWEIZ” how this came about and what motivates her to go on such assignments.

Nicole’s history of overseas dental assignments began almost 30 years ago with a medical internship in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a two-week aid mission in Rwanda in 2003. This was followed by many prison outreaches in Africa and South America.

Off to Madagascar - As a teacher, Nicole's husband Markus visited “Helimission” in Trogen with his students and mentioned their mission trips. This culminated in a mission to Madagascar with Nicks family. Nick is one of Helimission's five helicopter pilots in Madagascar, the country east of the African continent with the world's fifth-lowest gross domestic product per capita and a population of around 30 million.

Within two weeks, Nicole organized the necessary dental equipment, flight and visa. In the meantime, Nicks wife Katja put together a treatment program, found suitable rooms and procured additional materials and medication. Nicole boarded the plane with 46kg or approximately 101.5 lbs of luggage, paying the flight costs herself. As a guest of the Helimission family in the capital Antananarivo, Nicole was impressed by the entire Helimission team on site.

The Circumstances - On previous prison outreaches, there were usually two wooden chairs and a table for materials. Whenever possible, Nicole worked in the prison yard in the fresh air and in good light, but usually in the blazing sun and bathed in sweat. And the tooth removal could take a long time, until a tooth with long, curved roots sitting firmly in the bone was removed by hand using a lever and pliers. Instead of a suction system, swabs were used and the patient spat into a cup or bucket from time to time. 

In Antananarivo, on the other hand, she found good facilities, including equipment and a generator. A spacious seating area under the canopy of the house served as a waiting area, where the patients were happy to stay even after treatment. The NGO also provided young teachers to translate and medical assistants. In addition to the founder of the NGO, she was assisted by the pilots’ wives Katja and Magali, who look after people living on a garbage dump, among other things.

The Patients - Patients who cannot afford dental treatment, such as people from the garbage dump, were treated. “Dental health is worrying. On several occasions, I have had children between the ages of nine and twelve whose important molars were destroyed by caries (tooth decay and cavities) and had to be removed. That made me very sad,” reports Nicole.

Of the 166 patients treated between the ages of 3 and 60, half of whom were children and adolescents, tooth extractions (241) accounted for the majority of treatments. Despite the rudimentary conditions, it was possible to use a micromotor to preserve molars with a filling or rebuild front teeth for many young people and thus put a beaming smile on their faces. It was mostly about emergency care, relieving pain and healing inflammation.

The Motivation - The very first patient – who had Down's syndrome - won her heart in a flash. One of the patients came by again on the last day of treatment to thank Nicole once more and to bless her. Experiences like this make her very happy. “Meeting people, giving hope, immersing myself in a different culture, leaving my comfort zone, experiencing unforgettable fellowship, receiving new visions and putting my faith into action,” is how Nicole describes what drives her. Giving yourself into the hands of God, being his instrument, or as St Francis of Assisi describes it, “Lord make me an instrument of your peace, that I may bring hope where despair threatens, bring joy where there is sadness, bring light where there is darkness ...”

Growing up in Germany with its excellent education system was a privilege, as was the fantastic support she received from her parents. Using her skills to help people without access to adequate dental care allows her to share some of her good fortune. “In countries where people don't have access to dental care, people die as a result of tooth decay! Just like that!” She sees this as a great injustice. By using her time and the gifts she has received from God to multiply joy and alleviate suffering, she is sharing God's love.