A family mission

Local doctor and her family make medical and humanitarian treks to Central America

May 01, 2023

A Guatemalan woman expresses her thanks after the Rivera family replaced an open fire pit inside the home with a $180 wood-burning stove with a proper exhaust system. Dr. Jana Rivera, a pediatric anesthesiologist at McLane Children’s Medical Center in Temple, explained that children often develop respiratory problems from inhaling smoke and fumes from the open cooking pits. Courtesy photo

During a 2015 medical mission to Cubulco, Guatemala, the Rivera family spent a week helping with operations on dozens of kids. In the above photo, Dr. Jana Rivera provided anesthesia to a young patient while assisting a Guatemalan surgeon. Jana’s husband, Richard actually breathed through a tube into the patient because the clinic’s ventilator was not working. At far right, Samuel Rivera, only 14 at the time, assists the surgeon. Courtesy photo

Jana Rivera, a pediatric anesthesiologist at McLane Children’s Medical Center in Temple, holds a small patient at a clinic in Guatemala. Courtesy photo

O P E R A T I O N : C H I L D R E N

DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE

Since 2010, teams of physicians, surgeons, nurses and anesthesiologists from Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center in Temple have been making pilgrimages to third-world countries, providing surgeries and medical care to kids in need. Here’s the second installment of OPERATION: CHILDREN, an occasional series, to tell their stories.

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Some doctors journey to third-world countries to provide medical care not available in that region of the world. Others go to provide humanitarian aid to those living in extreme poverty. Dr. Jana Rivera and her family do both.

“I’ve been with Baylor Scott & White for more than 20 years, and I made my first mission when I was a resident,” the McLane Children’’s Medical Center pediatric anesthesiologist said. “My husband and I started a family, so I didn’t go for several years. But, I started back in 2015 and now I do multiple trips every year, and I take my family with me.”

Over the years, the Rivera family has journeyed to Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Guatemala.

“I focus a lot of my time in Guatemala,” she said. “I went to Ecuador in February, and we are taking a group from Tapestry Community Church in Belton on a trip to an orphanage in Ciudad San Cristóbal, Guatemala, in June. Later, in October, I’ll be going to the Moore Center for pediatrics in Guatemala City.”

During the June trip, the Riveras and members of their church will be installing new wood-burning stoves and water filters in homes in San Cristóbal. Rivera said many families in that area cook in open pits inside their home, and children often develop respiratory issues from breathing smoke. Burn injuries also are common.

“When we bring in a new wood stove or water filter, it is a life changing event for these families,” Rivera said. “The stoves are properly ventilated, and the smoke no longer builds up inside the home.”

“The youth at Tapestry Community Church are raising money to purchase as many stoves as we can,” she said. “They cost about $180 each, and they are hoping to raise $4,0000. We want to install at least 20. We’ve done as many as 24 in the past.”

Last Sunday, the youth raised money hosting a pickleball tournament at Summit Recreation Center in Temple.

“The kids at Tapestry are amazing. Instead of spending their summer playing video games, they will be working hard in the heat installing stoves. I think we’re going to have seven go with us, including my two sons.”

Rivera’s sons — Samuel is a junior at Baylor studying public health and environmental sciences, Andrew is a 16-year-old student at Providence private school — and husband Richard will be going to Guatemala as well, and they are no strangers to missions of humanitarian and medical aid.

Rivera’s medical missions start with a Saturday travel day, then the makeshift staff spends Sunday evaluating patients.

“We actually do initial evaluations via Zoom from Temple,” she said. “Then we do further assessments once we arrive. Then we operate during the week, and fly home the following weekend.”

“We do the two evaluations because we want to make sure they are safe and able to withstand surgery,” she said. “We usually have three rooms going — one for pediatric surgery, one for pediatric ophthalmology and one for plastic surgery.”

“We don’t just treat kids from the immediate area. Families come from all over the country, even very remote areas.”

“The most common problems we encounter with the children are hernias due to malnutrition and heavy labor performed at a young age,” she said. “We also see a lot of limb deformities from poor nutrition and poor prenatal care.”

While many families spend their summer vacations on cruise ships or sunny beaches, the Riveras continue to make working trips to help others in need.

“We do it to glorify God,” she said. “He has blessed us with so much.”

Retired military journalist to speak at May 10 Books for Lunch discussion

DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE

A former US Army feature story broadcaster and writer who has covered conflicts such as World War II, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan will present her work at the next Books for Lunch monthly discussion.

This month’s discussion will be Wednesday, May 10, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Temple Public Library Board Room.

Retired Col. Renita Menyhert focuses on human interest soldier stories. The Belton resident has received 15 awards for print and broadcast excellence during her career.

Menyhert is the author of five books, including Ernie Pyle Was My Hero, Remember Pearl Harbor, Operation Vittles: Stories from the Berlin Airlift, The Latest Generation and Army Life: Up Close and Personal.

Since her retirement, she has made presentations at the Bell County Museum and other location sin the area. Her Books for Lunch program will commemorate Memorial Day, which is May 29 this year.

Books for Lunch is jointly sponsored by the Temple Public Library and the Temple Literacy Council, a group that helps adults learn to read and learn English as a second language.

Those attending Books for Lunch are welcome to bring a lunch. Drinks will be provided.

591 to graduate from UMHB

DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor will hold its spring commencement ceremony Saturday at Crusader Stadium.

The ceremony will honor the 167th graduating class of the Belton university.

The ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. — gates open at 6 p.m.

Ashely Smith, director of marketing and public relations at UMHB, estimates 591 students will be awarded degrees during the ceremony, including 421 baccalaureate degrees, 162 master’s degrees and eight doctoral degrees. There are also six commissioning officers participating in the graduation ceremony.

A live stream of the ceremony will be available at umhb.edu/commencement.