Dr. Marvin Loyd was presented a plaque at the January Board meeting in Pignon in recognition for helping to bring modern dentistry.
When Dr. Marvin Loyd first went to Pignon in the early 1990s, there was no dental clinic. When people learned that he was a dentist, they lined up to have their teeth pulled because they were in so much pain. He set up chairs under a tree at the farm and pulled teeth from morning to sundown, pulling over 330 teeth in two days. People were so grateful. Their teeth were not only rotten and painful but were a source of infection. Dr. Loyd has helped develop a modern and wonderful dental program that has served thousands of people through the years.
Dr. Marvin Loyd first learned of the work being done in Pignon from Jay Lawhon, a fellow Arkansan and Methodist. Dr. Loyd met with another volunteer, Dr.Larry Giffin, and they began recruiting volunteers, building a clinic, sending equipment, and training local Haitians to carry on the work year round. Today, Dr. Jim Birong has continued this fine work. It has come a long way since those early days and has become a true blessing. Now, people have their teeth cleaned and cavities filled instead of simply pulling teeth. A dental lab is available. School children are brought in to the clinic for preventive dentistry. Haitians run this program with assistance from US volunteers.A support program has been established so that children have access to care. Last year, the dental clinic served over 6,506 people,4,603 of which were children.
Dr.Loyd has also helped the people of Pignon in another important way. As a former member of the United Methodist Committee on Relief, Dr.Loyd was able to help obtain vital medicine, supplies, and salary support in the period after the 2010 earthquake. Click here for a link to Dr Loyds Story.
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