By Peter Morgan, DC
On Sunday January 11, 2009 Dr. Joe Cucci and I take off from New York City to Port of Spain Trinidad. Our mission is to bring the healing power of chiropractic to over 10,000 people in the nation of Trinidad. Mission-Chiropractic is sponsored by the Scoliosis Care Foundation. 21 Chiropractors and assistants will be providing chiropractic care, performing scoliosis screenings, and teaching Straighten up America to 3200 students and 7,000 others. We arrive in Port of Spain at 8:30 pm and we meet with 9 other chiropractors and chiropractic students. While we were on the plane we adjusted the crew with our portable tables. At 10:30 pm we arrive at the Trinidad Hyatt and at 11:30 pm we are adjusting the pilot and co-pilot in the lobby of the Trinidad Hyatt. On every Mission trip I have a new first. This is the first time that I ever adjusted the pilot of an international flight that I just flew on. I guess this is what happens when your mission is chiropractic. Wow! What a way to start off a chiropractic mission trip. The Mission doesn’t officially start until Wednesday; however a lot work is needed to be done in preparation for our awesome adventure. Below is a synopsis of our trip.
On Monday January 5, 2008: Dr. Joe Cucci and I arrive at the Guardian building at 9:30 am for an interview with the Guardian Newspaper. At 10:30 we meet with two other National Newspapers for interviews. At 12:30 am we meet with Mr. Corey Joseph. Mr. Joseph has been talking about Chiropractic on his radio show for the last three months. We are scheduled to appear on his show at 1:30pm for an interview. After the interview we are invited to meet and preach chiropractic to all of the workers and staff of the 7 story guardian building. We adjusted all the people from 6 different radio stations and three different newspapers. (Approximately 150 people)
Tuesday January 6, 2008: Dr. Cucci is scheduled for an interview on Trinidad National TV at 9:30 am. He takes a team of chiropractors and chiropractic students with him. His interview goes well and the chiropractic students appear on the 6:30 news. Arrangements were made for television crews to come to the schools and churches where the Mission Chiropractors would be serving during the week.
12pm: Dr. Cucci and his team of chiropractors adjust approximately 2,000 people in downtown Port of Spain in a promenade. As this was going on Meghan Costello (Northwestern chiropractic student) and I are scheduled to meet with the Minister of Education at 9:30 am. The purpose is to bring Chiropractic and Straighten up America to Trinidad but in reality we are bringing Straighten up Trinidad to Trinidad. A great meeting ensued and I am now in the process of following up. At 11:30am we are scheduled to meet with the Departments of Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Transplant Surgery and the Medical Director of the Mt. Hope Hospital in Port of Spain. I had the opportunity to provide a chiropractic lay lecture to the staff and directors of these departments. At 12:30 pm Meghan and I had lunch with the Chief of Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery and Organ Transplants. After our home cooked meal we went back to orthopedic department and I adjusted the Neurosurgeon who has a back problem. Then I adjusted the Heart Transplant surgeon. Another first. The multitude of Medical Doctors and directors who are watching are impressed and want to get adjusted themselves. Shortly after adjusting everyone the Medical Director asks me “How can we create a Chiropractic internship program at our teaching hospital?” The orthopedic surgeon wants to come out in the field and observe our mission work. We welcome the opportunity for the orthopedist to watch us in action. At 4:30 we visit the Chief Orthopedic Surgeon’s prosthesis and orthotic facility. The orthopedic surgeon is interested in the Scoliosis care foundation. They currently use the Milwaukee Brace and Harrington Rods. They welcome and are extremely interested in our non surgical approach. At 6:30pm we have dinner and philosophy talk with our chiropractic team
Wednesday January 7, 2009: I am scheduled to meet with the Minister of Health and the chief Medical Officer of Trinidad at the Global Medical Response center. The purpose is to bring Chiropractic and Straighten up America to Trinidad. At 11:30am the Chief of Neurosurgery calls me and requests another adjustment. When I arrive at the hospital he has with him approximately 75 people with him waiting to be adjusted. Awesome!!! At 5:30pm our Chiropractic team of 21 meets at the Hotel for a master mind meeting. We review our goals, meditate and thank God for giving us the opportunity to serve pure chiropractic to the people of Trinidad. At 7 pm Dr. Jay Handt gives the most fascinating and inspirational chiropractic talk. 9pm: The team is on their own. Dr. Morgan, Dr. Cucci and a small group go to a Pentecostal church meeting for singing, dancing and socializing.
Thursday January 8, 2009: Our Chiropractic team is divided into three groups and we depart for our chiromissionary work in the field at 9am.
1. Faith Evangelical Baptist Church: Approximately 300 people were adjusted and hugged.
2. Arouca New Testament church of God: Approximately 350 people were hugged and adjusted.
3. Redemption Worship Center: Approximately 300 people were adjusted, hugged and inspired.
At all sites we adjusted, preached chiropractic philosophy, provided scoliosis screenings and incorporated Straighten up America/Trinidad into our teachings.
Our chiropractic team is back at the Hotel by 4:00pm. Many of the chiropractors leave with Dr. Morgan and Dr. Cucci to travel to downtown Port of Spain and adjust approximately 1500 people in a promenade. While people are waiting on lines to be adjusted, security becomes a problem. As we know to every problem there is a solution. The police come and secure the area so that we can continue to adjust in to the night. Awesome!!! At 10pm our entire chiropractic team congregates for a celf center meeting.
Friday at 9am our team is divided into two. Team 1 led by Dr’s. Morgan and Jay Handt leave for the Laventille Comprehensive School where 1600 hundred students and 200 staff are waiting. Team 2 Led by Dr. Cucci leaves for the Chaguanas Comprehensive school. 1500 hundred students and 200 staff are eagerly awaiting the arrival of this wonderful chiropractic team. In each school scoliosis screenings, chiropractic lay lectures and straighten up America is provided to groups of 150 students at a time. Approximately 3600 people received chiropractic care this day. 7pm: Dinner and share session.
8:30pm: Thanks to Yana (a spiritual and beautiful chiropractic student from Life University) a group of ten chiropractors have been invited to set up 8 tables in a VIP room in the hottest club of Trinidad. 800 people attend this club. Miss Barbados first runner up stayed in the VIP room all night and encouraged people from the club to come in and get adjusted. Donations were requested and we raised money to repaint a local orphanage. Approximately 100 people were adjusted.
Saturday January 10, 2009: 9 am: Our teams is divided into three groups and leave for the field: Team 1 sets out to the Christian Union Church, in St James, Trinidad. Team 2 departs for Jesus is the answer Church, Diego Martin, Trinidad. Team 3 proceeds to Ever Increasing Glory Ministries, Sangre Grande, Trinidad. Each team attends to approximately 350 people.
At 4pm the three chiropractic teams arrive at the most beautiful beach in Trinidad for a chiropractic celebration. Many of chiropractors open up their tables and adjust everyone on the beach. The orthopedic surgeon, who has been observing our mission work, is so impressed with chiropractic that he requests that we set up a mission-chiropractic trip to Cuba during the first week of July 2009. He makes a few phone calls and we now have schools, medical facilities and thousands of people waiting for chiropractic in Cuba. Awesome!!!
Sunday January 11, 2009: Dr. Morgan and Cucci depart on an 8 am flight. During the flight Dr. Cucci adjusts the whole crew (except for copilot and pilot)
Approximately 10,000 people were adjusted on this trip.
Please join us on our next Mission-Chiropractic trip. Mission-Cuba July 2009. The following is our tentative schedule.
July 2009-Cuba// October 2009- Haiti// January 2010-Ethiopia// April 2010- Haiti/Trinidad// January 2011-Guatamala//April 2011-Haiti/Trinidad// July 2011-Argentina// October 2010-DR/Haiti January 2012-Jamaica// April 2012-Trinidad/Haiti
If you are interested in the Cuba Mission-Chiropractic trip please sign up now. We don’t have much room.. “ARE YOU IN MISSION MODE?” Please E mail Dr. Morgan with comments or questions at Chirorye @ aol.com.
planetc1.com-news @ 9:31 pm | Article ID: 1232429512
Comments are closed for this article!