Robin and Gaylene Wales
Robin and Gaylene Wales are retired medical laboratory scientists who spend much of their time on the Burma–Thai border teaching locals how to use mircoscopes and other medical equipment.
Gaylene passed in 1999. She died of 'massive heart attacks'.
Robin's main project now is the battle against malaria, the most serious tropical disease, it causes many thousands of deaths, especially in young children and is a major problem for pregnant women. Special medication is required for P. falciparum, the deadliest of four Malaria species. Parasites must be identified correctly and treatment commenced as soon as possible to save lives and serious complications.
Since 2000 Robin has been taking donated microscopes to the Thai/Burma border and training health workers to use them for diagnosis of Falciparum malaria. This October and for the two previous years the teaching workshops have been conducted at the Karen Health and Welfare Dept near Mae Sot for workers from IDP clinics in Burma. I also teach rapid diagnostic finger-prick strip testing for P. falciparum, this is much more expensive than microscopy, but through ARMS and other donations we can provide malaria test strips for field work and jungle IDP clinics unsuitable for microscope use. I also teach about measures for preventing malaria and treatment, and through KHWD, ARMS, Partners and donations from my church and friends, ensure that appropriate medicine is available. I visit some of the IDP clinics in Burma to assess their suitability for microscopy.
Robin trained as a medical laboratory scientist at Wellington hospital in New Zealand from 1949 and worked in hospital and private medical laboratories in NZ until 1975. Gaylene and Robin married in 1957 and were always interested in missionary work. In 1975 They left NZ with the youngest five of six children when Robin went to work for the PNG health department at the New Guinea islands Base Hospital in Rabaul for two years. This was a special time for their family and also gaining experience in tropical medicine, especially malaria (including an attack). Their whole family moved to Australia in 1978 and eventually move to Ipswich in 1981, I managed the QML branch here until retiring in 1992 so that Gaylene and I could do YWAM training to serve as missionaries in the Philippines.
Robin now lives with his youngest son Andrew, his son's wife Sheila and their three boys - Jaydn, Justin and Jarred.