‘Arts @ Banbury St Mary’ was delighted to welcome local medical couple, Drs David and Jacquie Williams, yesterday evening to give a talk entitled ‘Travels with our Stethoscopes’.  David’s great grandfather was a missionary in the Belgian Congo, so there is clearly pioneering blood in his veins. David and Jacquie have both accompanied trips abroad as expedition doctors, including supporting ex-service personnel on a ‘Help for Heroes’ fund-raising expedition, and they have worked in situations which are demanding medically, as well as emotionally.

Early in their medical careers, Jacquie and David learnt a new language (Portuguese) in preparation for working with a British charity in the Brazilian Amazon.  They soon put this to good use in the early 1990s as they worked in a Brazilian hospital covering casualty, outpatients and wards. Leprosy was one of the major conditions which they had to treat. Jacquie had an article published in County Living December 1995, in which she wrote a moving account of their experiences as doctors in this challenging setting.

David then went on to talk about his experience as expedition doctor to Mt Kilimanjaro in 2005. He accompanied a group on a fundraising expedition for Macmillan cancer, where the oldest person on the trip was a remarkable 70 years old. He showed pictures of stunning scenery, including appetising local food cooked on the journey, and photos of their campsites which lacked the mod cons which some of us might wish for! He recounted the challenge of coping with altitude sickness experienced by expedition members, in particular headaches and vomiting. There was a one-wheeled stretcher available to wheel an ill person back down the mountain, plus a compression tent with foot pump to replicate the better oxygen conditions lower down the mountainside.  The doctor always walks at the back of the party, ready to cope with any medical emergency. Impressively, 22 out of 30 people in the party made it to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro.  David reckoned this trip was a ‘type 2 pleasure’ – more enjoyable in recalling the memory 15 years later, as opposed to a ‘type 1 pleasure’ which gives pleasure at the time!

David & Jacquie also travelled to Ghana, and were able to raise funds and use their medical contacts to bring a young boy, Ethan, in need of major abdominal surgery back to the UK. This surgery was successfully carried out on two occasions and the young man is now ten years old and flourishing back home in Ghana.

These intrepid doctors also travelled together to Machu Picchu (which means High Peak) in Peru, as they jointly accompanied another demanding expedition. They would often start the day at 4 am, to continue their ascent along the narrow path towards the top.  This meant that they saw some amazing sunrises, and we enjoyed seeing photos of nature’s beautiful daily offering. David and another member of the group both suffered bad altitude sickness on this trip, and Jacquie recounted how it was testing to see her own husband in need of medical care.

The final part of their talk moved back to more familiar territory for most of us – their life as GPs currently on the Isle of Mull.  David explained that most people enjoy visiting Mull for its scenery, friendly people, wildlife and amazing light.  As a different working challenge, Jacquie and David decided to practise together as GPs with a rota of one month on, followed by one month off (spent back home in South Warwickshire). They run several surgeries on the island, and still do home visits. Mull has a modern hospital with three beds, and if additional back-up is needed at a bigger hospital on the mainland, patients are transported by ferry, life boat or helicopter (depending on the level of emergency). David and Jacquie have to deal with medical requirements ranging from the unexpected home delivery of babies to the occasional coach crash (fortunately no one was badly hurt), handling whatever medical conditions are presented to them in their daily round of duties. They support each other in their work, and also gain strength from their Christian faith.

Their care for patients and evident enjoyment in their work shone through the talk, just like the photo of sunlight shining across the waters in the Sound of Mull, and the audience was completely engaged by their stories. David & Jacquie, thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us and giving us an insight into your amazing sense of calling and service to others!

Sarah Bourne, Chaplain to the Arts