A Shared Mission United Us for God’s Kingdom
Imagine putting your surgery on hold because your doctor didn’t have the necessary medical supplies to operate. Although we’ve always known about the medication shortage in Cuba, which includes basic over-the-counter items like Neosporin or aspirin, it took probing deeper to grasp the full extent and level of need for medical supplies. From syringes for a penicillin shot to cure a basic illness to tools for life-saving surgeries, the severe shortage of critical items became evident as we inquired further about the situation. Thankfully, another non-profit operating in Cuba told us about Mission Regan. Mission Regan collects surplus medical supplies from those who have plenty and shares them with those in need, thereby sharing the love of Christ. We contacted Mission Regan in the spring of 2023 to request sutures for a pastor who needed surgery. We received the sutures and sent them to the pastor so he could have the surgery. While that was the first request for supplies, it wasn’t long before we began working with Mission Regan regularly for other needs.
Mission Regan collects gently expired or soon-to-expire supplies that are ethically usable and oversupplies from hospitals. In preparation for a quarterly inspection, hospitals toss items just past their expiration date or about to expire. Many items are ethically usable because not everything they discard actually expires, such as rubber bands, paper masks, cotton balls, pencils, and toothbrushes. Who knew cotton balls gently expire? Mission Regan collects these gently expired supplies, saving them from landfills, and provides these items to individuals and nonprofits who need them. Supplies are provided at no cost except for the shipping cost.
Mission Regan’s founder, Josh, was a firefighter on a medical mission trip when he first experienced the need for medical supplies. Doctors used tools that needed replacing because it was all they had to work with. On a return trip, he took supplies that would have been thrown away. Then, when he and Courtney, his wife, were adopting their son in Uganda, they met a very sick little boy named Regan at the orphanage. Regan had pneumonia and needed medicine that the orphanage couldn’t obtain. Josh was already collecting supplies and brought the medicine on his next trip. This life-saving medicine put Regan on his way to recovering when Josh and Courtney left the orphanage. Regan’s miracle inspired Josh and Courtney to collect even more supplies and eventually open the doors of Mission Regan.
In 2023, Mission Regan provided 3.8 million in supplies, which included 989 times people picked up items and 115 times international supplies were shipped. Their small warehouse in McKinney, Texas, is bursting at the seams with the many items they collect. One day, Mission Regan plans to buy a parcel of land at the end of their road and build a bigger warehouse. But for now, with the current size of their warehouse, they sometimes have to make hard decisions about what supplies they can accept due to space limitations. Items like wheelchairs, hospital beds, and crutches get picked up quickly, yet medical supplies are a little harder because they must find a group that needs them.
On a recent mission trip, we were stunned when a pastor shared that his kidney dialysis is performed with needles used by four people – sometimes more if they have too many patients. Learning this, we worked with Mission Regan to send needles to ensure he safely receives his treatment. Another urgent request was trach tubes and gastrostomy tubes for a 9-year-old boy with spinal muscular atrophy. Mission Regan went above and beyond what we asked for and sent a care package with diapers, bibs, oral care equipment, suction swabs, and a sweet note to the mom. Other items we’ve been able to send through Mission Regan include 1,017 syringes and needles, 1,000 medicine cups, 19 forceps, 17 iris scissors, 31 suture removal kits, 1,170 gauze pads, 1,980 needles, 20 boxes of Advil cold and flu, 72 boxes of aspirin, 360 boxes of prenatal vitamins, 320 boxes of diapers, 1,000 alcohol prep pads, and many other supplies. We’ve shipped 120 pounds of items thus far, with numerous essentials like syringes, which are lightweight but incredibly impactful.
Our contact, Ashley, has helped us identify if they have the requested supplies available since that first shipment for sutures. She joined Mission Regan in January 2021. Ashley and Josh were friends through church. Ashley had volunteered to sort supplies with the youth of their church. Mission Regan had been praying for someone to manage the warehouse. Then, in God’s timing, it was a blessing for both parties when Ashley joined the team in 2021. Having already worked in the ministry, Ashley’s coming on board as warehouse manager was a perfect match.
“It’s our pleasure to provide supplies to those in need. God provides the supplies, and we give them back out. They do us no good in our warehouse. We try to be the best stewards of giving to what God has provided. I have enjoyed working with Atulado. They make it easy to do good work.”
– Ashley Kennedy
While it’s uncertain what specific items will be needed in Cuba, one thing is clear: the ongoing need for basic medical supplies and medication remains significant. Working with Mission Regan, we will share the love of Christ and meet essential needs in Cuba.