Providing the life-saving gift of medical equipment
Review of "Dreams, Prayers & Miracles" by Liz Harvey-Foulds.
Dreams, Prayers & Miracles: the Story of MEMO
Liz Harvey-Foulds
with Dr. Jerome Harvey
Westbow Press, 2025.
In these days of doomscrolling and bad news, we all need stories of inspiration. Liz Harvey-Fould’s book Dreams, Prayers and Miracles fits the bill perfectly. It tells the incredible story of MEMO (Medical Equipment Mobilization Opportunity), a Thunder Bay non-profit organization founded by retired doctor Jerome Harvey in 2004.
MEMO was initially intended as a “one and done” project when the new Thunder Bay Health Sciences Centre opened. Knowing of the critical needs in Cuba, Jerome obtained permission to acquire redundant medical equipment from the decommissioned Port Arthur General and McKellar Hospitals – equipment that was destined for landfill. That included hospital beds, x-ray machines, nuclear medicine scanners, wheelchairs, EKGs and OR equipment. Once permission was granted, the enormity of the task began to sink in. All the equipment from the two combined 625-bed hospitals had to be inventoried, stored, and eventually shipped, at a huge expense to Cuba, a country notorious for its bureaucracy, and to the Philippines. It was not a task for the faint of heart.
Fortunately, Jerome has never been faint of heart. When he shared the vision with Grace Free Church, his home congregation, it was met with enthusiasm. The pastor sent an appeal to the Evangelical Free Church of Canada. The response was enormous. Volunteers descended on Thunder Bay from Western Canada, the U.S. and even Holland. Volunteers from other churches and humanitarian groups in Thunder Bay joined in. Over a three-week period, they removed, packed, bubble-wrapped, and crated enough equipment to fill 19 ocean containers. Local individuals and organizations billeted and fed the out-of-town workers. A warehouse was provided free of charge by a local businessman, and funds were raised to send eleven 40-foot shipping containers to Cuba and eight to the Philippines. Volunteer technicians and medical personnel flew to Cuba at their own expense to oversee the installation of equipment and training of staff in its use.
The impact of the equipment on the countries receiving these gifts cannot be overstated. Doctors in Cuba are highly trained and skilled, but they typically lack the basic equipment necessary for procedures that are routine in Canada. One Cuban orthopedic surgeon, on opening a box of surgical equipment, said with tears, “I have only seen this kind of equipment in textbooks!”
What Jerome hadn’t anticipated was that this was just the beginning. Word had spread, and he began hearing from other hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics that all had equipment to donate. The work of MEMO continued. Over the years, in addition to medical equipment, the organization acquired donations of non-medical equipment to meet needs in seven countries in South America and Africa, as well as Cuba. Donated sewing machines, computers, farming equipment, and school supplies have all helped launch small businesses in developing nations and provide much-needed educational materials for schools. The gifts have also helped people locally. In 2024, MEMO supplied local hospitals and occupational therapists with over 40 wheelchairs for patients lacking medical insurance or facing long wait times. Wheelchairs, commodes, and other assistive devices have also been sent to First Nations communities.
It is astounding to realize that MEMO has accomplished so much in the past two decades without paid staff, government help, or corporate sponsorship. It’s a testimony to how the impossible can be accomplished when people with caring hearts work together to benefit those in need.
If you’re interested in purchasing this powerful book, all proceeds go directly to support the work of MEMO.
