On a mission of mercy to Yap

By Leslie Moriarty

Herald Writer

SNOHOMISH — Not many people know where Yap is. But Anne and John Anholm do. They’ve been there and plan to go back.

The Anholms spent a couple of weeks last fall in Yap, a tiny Pacific Island of about 12,000 people that is part of the Federated States of Micronesia and has been a U.S. protectorate since the end of World War II.

Anne Anholm, an obstetrician-gynecologist with the Everett Clinic’s Marysville office, was part of a team of doctors and nurses to travel to Yap through the Canvasback Mission in late September. They worked for two weeks to provide gynecological screening and treatment for women of the island.

Stacy Leck, communications manager for Canvasback, said many women in Yap had never had gynecological care.

"Pelvic exams are commonplace for American women," she said. "But that’s not the case for women in Yap."

Canvasback Mission Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 to serve remote Pacific Islands with health care and education. Founders Jamie and Jacque Spence created the mission and named it for their first sailing ship used to travel to the islands to give care.

John Anholm is an electrical engineer and helped do maintenance work at mission schools in Yap. It was through his parents that the couple learned of the missions.

"My father is an orthodontist and had been on missions to the islands to give dental care," Anholm said. "I love to travel, and my wife was looking for a way to help. She often donated her vacation time to do medical care for those in need."

The trip was in conjunction with the local government, which pledged to pay for the lodging and meals for the five doctors.

While in Yap, doctors saw a waiting room filled with women each day. Some received Pap smears and routine medical screenings. Others were diagnosed with high blood pressure and thyroid dysfunction. Still others had to have surgeries, including hysterectomies, because of advanced uterine cancer.

"Sadly, this could have been prevented if the women had been able to get care earlier on," Anne Anholm said.

Although there are clinics and doctors, Anholm said they aren’t like those in the United States. He said their doctors only have the experience that physician’s assistants have in this country.

When they go on the missions, they take medical supplies and try to work with the local doctors on education and training, he said.

The island is one of the most traditional, with strong adherence to local customs, he said. Women often don’t wear tops, but they always wear grass or cloth skirts.

"No top is nothing out of line," he said. "But to show legs and thighs is thought to be immodest."

The island still has its own stone currency, which is made on the island of Palau and sent by boat to Yap. Its value was based on the number of people to die in the process of trying to get it there.

"American currency is used there, too," he said. "But for traditional things like wedding dowries, the stone money is used."

The Anholms met in college. He spent much of his younger life in Oregon and traveled through Thailand, Singapore, Australia and the United States before deciding on a career in obstetrics and attending the University of Washington medical school. She originally is from Washington state.

Now in their 50s, the couple have devoted much of their spare time to helping others. A second trip to Yap is planned for next year.

"The people are very friendly," he said. "And they need and appreciate getting help of all kinds."

You can call Herald Writer Leslie Moriarty at 425-339-3436

or send e-mail to moriarty@heraldnet.com.

To learn more about the Canvasback Missions, see www.canvasback.net.

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