Dear Chasing Lions LLC,

Dermafill appeared to be an ideal wound dressing for the conditions seen in Haiti.  Since follow-on medical care was being conducted haphazardly, and since the patients were living in completely unsanitary conditions, Dermafill provided a "fix and forget" option which mitigated the need for continued wound care.  -Jake Wood, President, Team Rubicon

Jake Wood

President

Team Rubicon

Dear Chasing Lions

I had the privilege of providing medical assistance to many Haitian residents after the devastating earthquake in January, serving alongside an amazing team of medical providers from the United States.  The overwhelming majority of our patients had significant wounds that were not healing properly.  Compounding this problem was the fact that these patients had no homes, electricity, running water, or even basic follow up for their wounds.  Many of the patients I treated had already received initial, basic medical attention for these wounds (many of them had dressings obviously applied by medical personnel), but because of the lack of sanitation and follow up care, their wounds were not healing properly.  Many wounds were infected, and as a result countless people were in danger of losing limbs because of a lack of basic wound care and follow up.  

The president of Chasing Lions, Inc. was gracious enough to donate substantial quantities of Dermafill for this mission.  This proved to be absolutely invaluable in treating the countless wounds we encountered.  After treating each patient, I knew the chances of that patient receiving any follow up care in a timely fashion was virtually nonexistent.  Supplies were limited, and our teams knew that asking these patients to change their dressings would prove next to impossible.  I can't express how invaluable Dermafill was during this mission.  It was extraordinarily easy to use, and because it has pain relieving properties, I knew my patients would get some measure of pain control.  Additionally, Dermafill provided a barrier from the elements, which was absolutely critical in this devastated environment.  I didn't have to ask patients to change dressings, apply ointment, etc - and worry that they wouldn't follow up on my instructions.  I was able to apply Dermafill, give basic instructions, and know they would have the best chance for success given their limited resources.  

This product was incredibly easy to use, provided some local pain control, and gave these patients the best odds of recovering from their wounds.

Jenny Hume, PA-C

The Children's Hospital at Emanuel Portland, OR

Dear Chasing Lions

I would like to thank your company for donating dermafill for the relief effort in Haiti.  I personally saw how dermafill positively affected the lives of people we treated while there.   Our teams were tasked with going out into the refugee camps to provide care for the many wounded Haitians. 

If I may, I would like to relate one particulary moving story to you.  It happened while we were treating patients at a refugee camp near the collapsed presidential palace.  The supplies available for wound care in the first week after the earthquake were very sparse indeed.  While treating a crush injury of young boy, I glanced over and saw a neurosurgeon on our team debriding the necrotic leg wounds of a Haitian woman with only a Gerber multi-tool and a scalpel.  The wounds were down to the bone.  We had no narcotic pain meds, only N-SAIDs.  Tears were streaming down the woman’s face.  Trying to keep the patient’s mind off the pain, Brother Jim, our selfless Jesuit guide, led her in singing French folk songs.  Luckily when the field operation was complete, we were able to dress the debrided wounds with dermafill.   The look of hope on her face when we were done treating her will be with me for quite some time. I truly believe that the dermafill application gave her the chance at saving her leg.

Thanks again,

Bob Thomann

Lead PAC Emergency Department Mt. Sinai Hospital

Midwest Regional Coordinator for Team Rubicon

Chicago, IL