The Story of Jeremiah J. Lowney

Dental Professionalism Eighth /n a series SERVING THE POOREST OFTHE POOR: THE STORY OF JEREMIAH J. LOWNEY James T. Rule, DDS, MS, Professor Eryierltus University of Maryland Denial School, Baltimore Muriel J. BebeaU, PhD, Professor of Préventive Soienoes University of Minnesota Sofiool of Denlistry, Minneapolis Since 1966, Dr Jerry Lowney has practiced orthodontics in Norwich, Connecticut, where he has been active in both commLjnity and professionai organizations, including the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors for iHigher Education. Since his first volunteer trip to Haiti in the mid-1980s, during which he provided dental services for the poor, he has returned to that country at least three times each year Over time the nature of his activities has changed. Through grant writing, personai influence, iiaison with a reiigious order, a huge investment ot time, successful fundraising, the seizing ot every opportunity, and the expenditure of iarge amounts of his own money, he has created a multimiilion-doliar general heaith facility in one oí the peores! areas in Haiti. Besides dentai treatment, the scope of his activities has ranged from creating centers for high-risi< pregnancy and malnutrition to the hir- ing of physicians, the training of local nurse practitioners, and an Adopt-a-Family program run by his wife, Virginia. His actions have been influenced by Virginia's caring attitudes and by his conviction that much is expected from those who have received life's bounties. n August 198f Dr Jeremiah Lowney had been prac- to know him and like him, and respect him. So any- Iticing orthodontics for f5 years when he received a way I said, 'It sounds interesting.' ff he had said, 'I'm phone call that changed his life. Most Reverend going to Appalachia,' I'd probably have a health pro- Daniel Patrick Reilly, the Roman Catholic hishop of gram in Appalachia today. Haiti was chosen just Norwich, Connecticut, where Dr Lowney had his hecause he was going there." practice, asked if he would like to join him for a week Jerry said, "I had no idea of what I could do there. I in Haiti. Pope John Paul II had urged the Roman didn't want to go down and he a voyeur for a week—just Catholic hishops from the world's affluent nations to walk around and observe," To be of some practical use, encourage the people of their parishes to heip those he thought that if he took some exodontia instruments, less fortunate in Third World countries. Bishop Reilly there might be an opportunity to do some extractions, responded by organizing an eclectic group of some not withstanding the fact that he hadn't extracted a dozen people among whom Dr Lowney would he the tooth in 19 years. So he asked the help of an oral sur- only dentist. Jerry told me [JTR] fhat there was no par- geon friend in reviewing basics, such as the administra- ticular heahh care orientation to the group. It was tion of a mandibuiar block injection and the techniques merely a broad-hased exploratory trip to assess the of dental extraction. He borrowed some equipment and problems and perhaps to plan some sort of action to subsequently "spent that whole week taking teeth out help the poor. Jerry went mainly because of his friend- by the hundreds." His son, Mark, a pre-med student, ship with the bishop. "We're good friends. I had gotten went with him and served as a dental assistant. Qu'- 309 Dr Lowney's introduction to to do was to call a week or two would do it. "We'd arrive at the air- Haiti was one of the most memo- before he came and they would set port, rent a car, and drive wherever rable experiences of his life. In Port an agenda. we were needed. The sisters set the au Prince, the group stayed in a 1981 to 1985: Working in Port au agenda, and we'd arrive at 7:30 in hotiie with no water and no bath- Prince. Six months later Dr Lowney the morning. We'd bring a little room. There was a latrine out back. returned to Haiti and has continued lunch from the hotel, and we'd By the end of the week, the rank to do so every 3 or 4 tnonths. On his bring water and all my instruments odors were pervasive. Jerry said second trip he was joined by the and we'd begin seeing patients. The that they were unprepared for what pastor of his church [St. Andrews in sisters monitored who wouid be they saw. "We got into these slums. Colchester, Connecticut], Monsignor treated." Jerry said that some We saw sights we had never ever Ted Malanowski, and Jerry's oldest patients were rejected, even though seen before. I was in an orphanage, daughter, Gail, who served as a den- tbey looked awful. Once, wben he and I picked up a little baby, and tal assistant. "We worked in different asked why a woman had been the baby died in my arms. Just places," Jerry said, "And I mean we rejected, Jerry said the sister died!" He visited a home for the worked. We were doing two or three replied, 'She's not poor enough." dying that was attended by the hundred extractions a day. It was He laughed and said, "She looked Missionaries of Charity, an order of difficult in that you didn't know any- pretty poor to me. But they knew nuns founded by Mother Teresa." thing about the health history of most people's situations and needs. The sisters brought in the patients these people. Nothing! We protected I don't know how they knew, but "either out of the streets or from the ourselves with universal precaution. they would select them. They general hospital in Port au Prince. [We used] cold sterilization. We would bring in six or seven patients The hospital would put the scruhbed the instruments and at a time. The others would wait patients, who were so sick they soaked them in germicide. They out in the street. They'd sit down in looked like they weren't going to would sit down and we'd ask them straight chairs, and I'd anesthetize make it, into a shed behind the which tooth hurt, and they'd say them all at once." On a piece of facility. The sisters would visit this 'Tout'-all of them. Then you'd have paper that he gave to the patients, shed, transport patients to their to do a survey of the mouth, a gener- he indicated the tooth, more often own building, clean them up, and al physical assessment of the patient, teeth, that were to be removed. feed them. Most of them didn't sur- and make a decision. The entire One by one tbey would get care. vive. But the whole theme of their rnouth qualified for extraction, but One volunteer would fill the outreach was to ailow people to die the patient could not be left medical- syringes, and another would scrub with dignity! [In addition] they all ly comprotnised and there was little the instruments. He used double had bad teeth. They were periodon- opportunity for follow-up." gloves as a precaution. Although taily involved or they were infected. On later trips he usually brought AIDS was not much of a problem So the day I showed up with the four or five people with hitn includ- then, he was concerned about hep- bishop and [ourj group, I had my ing, as regulars, Monsignor Malan- atitis. When I asked if he used a little kit. And I said to one of the owski and Sister Carla Hopkins, a mask, he said, "Most of the time. sisters, 'If you have anyhody here nun who ran a Catholic Charities But by the middle of the day, it that needs any teeth extracted, I program in Connecticut. She spoke would be so damn hot, I'd take the would like to help.' And she said, French and was therefore able to mask off and work with just a base- 'No one ever comes here. God must help communicate with the ball cap and a set of scrubs." have sent you.' ,., That was a heavy patients-a major advantage. She 1985: Long Distance with trip. That comment was a life- also scrubbed instruments. Dr Mother Teresa. At the end of each changing experience." Lowney paid all of her expenses trip to Port au Prince tbe sisters, Jerry decided to remain at the out of his pocket. The sisters in having provided him with Mother home for the dying and consequent- Port au Prince would tell him Teresa's phone number in Calcutta, ly spent most of the week extracting where to set up a ciinic, and be would ask bim to call her to convey teeth. Toward tbe end of bis stay be asked the sisters, if he were to come back in a few months, would they •The order oi the Missionaries of Charity was created in 1950 in Calcutta by Nobei Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa [1910-1997]. its purpose was to serve the poor, usuaily the be able to find any other places like poorest of the poor The order was inspired by her experience with a woman, haif-dead and this. They told him they had a clinic partly eaten by rats, whom she found lying in the streets. A nearby hospital was reluctant to in the slums that was very needy. In treat her, but because of Mother Teresa's insistence, they finaily treated the woman.

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