In October 1998, Central America — in particular Honduras — was slammed in slow-motion by the second-deadliest hurricane on record at the time, Hurricane Mitch. Moving about as quickly as the average person walks, the large storm pummeled the country with high winds — and up to 36.5 inches of rain (some unofficial totals claimed as high as 75 inches). Over nearly a week of constant destruction, the storm claimed over 7,000 lives in Honduras (a country of just over 6 million people at the time), while wiping out 70 percent of clean water access, 70 percent of crops, 23 percent of classrooms, and 70-80 percent of the roads and bridges in the nation. 20 percent of the population — 1.5 million people — were left homeless.
In 1999 Dr. Barry Beyer, a resident of the City of Falls Church, recruited a group of physicians and nurses to travel to Honduras for a week, to see how they could help. Initially a humanitarian relief effort in the wake of Hurricane Mitch, the trip was the genesis of what is now the VHC Medical Brigade, a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in The Little City.
Mary Ellen Gannon, who retired from Virginia Hospital Center (VHC) after 35 years, serves as the Brigade’s volunteer Director of Operations. She has volunteered with the Brigade since 2000, and has served in her current role for over a decade.
During the early days of the organization, when she still worked at VHC, “Dr. Barry was recruiting people.” Gannon recalled. The physicians and nurses he assembled were VHC employees, and all of them planning an out-of-country trip was a disruptive proposal — but Dr. Barry, who Gannon called the “Pied Piper,” was upbeat and enthusiastic. The group was ultimately granted vacation time for the trip, and when they returned, “it was glowing feedback,” Gannon said.
That’s when she joined.
After a few years of one-week trips, the group determined that they weren’t leaving behind enough tools for ongoing care. As a result, sustainability became a central concern for the Brigade, and services were adjusted to provide not only surgery, but clinics, education, nutrition, and clean water access.
Around 2004, the News-Press sent reporter Darien Bates down with the Brigade. “He wasn’t afraid to go out with the teams, so he got to see the water development, the hospital, the whole process.” Gannon said, “He got to know the volunteers… he dove right in.”
Today the Brigade sends four teams to Honduras each year, with volunteer physicians and nurses from across the country covering their own travel, room, and board to bring the country much-needed optical care, physical therapy, surgeries, supplies, equipment, and training.
The Brigade helps Honduras deal with chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes, diagnoses and treats astigmatism, provides cataract surgeries (which Gannon says is a huge issue for children in the country due to sun damage), and in 2024 is focusing on women’s health, bringing pregnancy care, prenatal vitamins, education, and nutritional support to the communities they serve.
The Brigade also equips villages with large tanks to store clean water, which they hire an organization to monitor to ensure the water has proper chlorine levels and is safe to drink. The Brigade also takes steps to ensure the water is being used residentially, and not diverted for washing coffee — the country’s number one export. Residents of villages where the tanks are installed can connect their homes to clean running water, provided by the Brigade’s tanks, for just a couple dollars per month.
A Florida physician is currently in Honduras, on a grant from UCLA to start the country’s first Emergency Room residency program, an idea the Honduras government is supporting, with supplies from the Brigade. In March a team will travel there to provide rehab, eye care services, and education.
In April a team will train community health workers at rural village community clinics, three of which have been opened by the Brigade.
“VHC Medical Brigade brings transformational health and development to the most vulnerable in Honduras,” the organization’s mission reads, “We empower communities to solve their challenges, provide life-changing surgeries and health technology solutions, and invest in building a robust Honduran medical system. Sustainability, community contribution, and a focus on empowering the vulnerable are integral to everything we do.”
The Brigade sends two 40-foot shipping containers of supplies to Honduras every year. Last year, through a partnership with Rise Against Hunger, the Brigade provided 200,000 soy-based meals — with long shelf lives — primarily for school lunches.
This September, the Brigade will celebrate its 25th anniversary at The Winery at Bull Run (15950 Lee Hwy., Centreville, VA), which Gannon encourages community members to attend. More information will be made available as the event approaches on the Brigade’s website, vhcmedicalbrigade.org.
The Brigade is currently seeking donations of over-the-counter medications, such as liquid acetaminophen for kids, clothing, clean sheets and towels, blankets, toiletries, and medical equipment (crutches, wheelchairs, etc.). Any community member can volunteer to sort and stock the Brigade’s warehouse in Falls Church, and those with specific skills to contribute (in particular those with medical, I.T., inventory, business, and grant writing expertise) who are willing to donate a couple hours of their time per month (or more) are encouraged to complete a volunteer form at vhcmedicalbrigade.org/volunteer. Those interested in learning more or making a donation may do so on the Brigade’s website.
