What is CURA Brazil?

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CURA stands for CUidado, Respeito, Amor (care, respect, love).

It was born out of a dream in 2007 by the Itu Church of Christ, the Johnson Street Church of Christ, Antenor and Phyllis Goncalves (missionaries with the Itu Church of Christ), Dr. Gregory Dunham (Ob/Gyn from San Angelo, Texas), and Soraya Rossi recently graduated physician from Itu).

Sitting atop a hill where the shell of the new Itu Church of Christ was under construction, it was proposed that we could help meet the physical and psychological needs of the people of Cidade Nova... literally be the hands and feet of Jesus. From that dream grew the inaugural campaign in July, 2009.

With the cooperation of the Itu Secretary of Health, the mayor of Itu, and the collaborative efforts of Brazilian and American practitioners and students from the medical school in Sao Paulo, 745 patients were seen in the areas of gynecology, cardiology, dentistry, general medicine and counseling. In 2010, our second campain saw 1000+ patients, adding services in audiology and ophthalmology.

For our 2011 campaign, we hope to add chiropractic care, cataract surgery and single site surgery for female urinary incontinence.
 

How does CURA work?

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All care is provided with the understanding that Jesus Christ is the Great Physician, and it is the intent that our attempt at the relief of physical suffering will show forth the love of God and let the people know that He is the only true source of healing. All participants are expected to be the embodiment of the hands, feet and heart of Jesus Christ.

Additionally, those attending the clinic will be taught the relationship between hygiene and health, and information will be provided to promote dental health, improvements in nutrition and to better understand the signs and symptoms of illness.