Dr. Jason Regan Witnesses Resilience and Tragedy During Medical Mission in Togo

TOGO, WEST AFRICA — A recent medical mission to Togo provided Oklahoma osteopathic physician and Oklahoma Osteopathic Association Board member Jason Regan, DO, with an opportunity to serve children and families in need while witnessing both the challenges and resilience of a community facing significant health and humanitarian crises.

Working alongside local healthcare professionals, Dr. Regan helped care for children suffering from severe illnesses during the peak malaria season in the region. Over the course of the mission, the medical team treated 10 children in the emergency department for malaria. Most required intravenous fluids, IV artesunate, and Coartem therapy, while some required blood transfusions. Following approximately 36 hours of treatment, many of the children improved enough to be discharged home.

The mission also highlighted the realities faced by healthcare providers caring for critically ill children in resource-limited settings.

An 11-day-old infant suffering from an anoxic brain injury sustained during birth passed away after enduring seizures and episodes of apnea since delivery. Despite ongoing care and monitoring, the child died early one morning.

The team also cared for a 15-month-old boy suffering from severe cerebral malaria, sepsis, and recurrent seizures. The child spent two days in the pediatric intensive care unit, where healthcare providers administered antimalarial medications, antibiotics, and multiple seizure treatments. Despite aggressive intervention, his condition continued to deteriorate. After repeated episodes of status epilepticus, he passed away early in the morning, leaving another family to grieve the loss of a child.

In another difficult case, an 11-year-old girl who had been admitted in critical condition passed away after battling severe pneumonia and respiratory distress. She was among four critically ill patients treated in the emergency department on Sept. 23. Despite receiving intravenous antibiotics and the highest level of respiratory support available, her condition continued to deteriorate. She remained comatose throughout her hospitalization and succumbed to her infection later that evening.

While the loss of these young patients weighed heavily on the medical team, providers continued caring for dozens of other children and families seeking treatment.

The mission took an unexpected turn when severe storms moved through the region, bringing an estimated 5 to 6 inches of rain in approximately four hours. The intense rainfall triggered widespread flooding throughout the community, creating dangerous conditions and resulting in significant loss of life.

According to local hospital staff, schoolchildren remained in their classrooms until the rain appeared to lessen. As students began their walk home, many encountered rapidly rising floodwaters and partially completed drainage ditches concealed beneath the water. Several children reportedly fell into the flooded ditches and were swept toward a nearby river.

The flooding claimed the lives of multiple children, with additional children reported missing in the aftermath. One employee working in the hospital administration building lost a 6-year-old son during the disaster.

Hospital staff and community members immediately shifted their focus to supporting affected families. In one heartbreaking scene, hospital employees worked together to construct a coffin for one of the children who drowned in the floodwaters.

The floodwaters also came dangerously close to the team's lodging and eventually entered portions of the guest house where they were staying. While the mission team remained safe, the experience underscored the vulnerability faced by many residents in regions without advanced weather monitoring systems or severe storm warnings.

The flooding's impact extended far beyond the immediate tragedy. Local staff reported that many families lost livestock, including goats, cattle, and chickens, while crops were destroyed by the floodwaters. With the dry season expected to begin in November and little rainfall anticipated until May 2027, opportunities to replant crops will be limited, creating concerns about food security and income for many families in the months ahead.

Throughout the mission, Dr. Regan witnessed both the hardships and determination of the local community. Healthcare workers continued caring for patients despite personal loss, while families and community members came together to support one another during a time of immense grief.

The experience serves as a reminder of the critical role physicians and healthcare teams play around the world—not only in providing medical care, but also in offering compassion, hope, and support during times of crisis.

The Oklahoma Osteopathic Association asks its members to keep the patients, families, healthcare workers, and communities affected by these events in their thoughts as recovery and healing continue.