Haitian child undergoes Heart Surgery
July 27, 2010 by webmaster · Leave a Comment
Kellen T. Knott* – In January of 2010, Medical Teams International volunteer physician, Tom Martin of Portland, Oregon, while working at a medical clinic in Haiti identified a young girl, 15 year old Stephanie Privert, as a candidate for potentially lifesaving heart surgery in the United States.
When Dr. Martin identified Stephanie, she was underweight, had an extremely enlarged heart, and was taking several medications necessary in order to simply keep her alive. However, even with these medications, local doctors estimated that without a specialized kind of heart surgery that is not available in Haiti, Stephanie would have, at best, only a few more years to live.
Over the next several weeks, Tom Martin, along with several other volunteers worked tirelessly in their efforts to find some way to evacuate Stephanie to the United States for this ever so crucial operation. Through their efforts they were able to identify an agency, Healing the Children, with the specialized background necessary to aide with this evacuation process.
In the months following, Medical Teams International along with Healing the Children continued the work of trying to evacuate Stephanie to the United States. Together, we were able to complete the long and grueling process of making all the arrangements necessary to send her to the United States for this operation.
On June 28th, 2010 thanks to the efforts of many, Stephanie Privert, boarded an airplane in Port-au-Prince bound for Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. While at Kosair Children’s Hospital Stephanie will undergo a generously donated, specialized heart surgery that could potentially add several decades to her life.
The duration of this journey was long, and the roads we traveled were difficult, but by grace of God, we were able to assist in making a lasting impact in one young girl’s life.
*Note: The Author of this Article is Kellen T. Knott, Administration Manager, for Medical Teams International.
More than a Surgical Mission
July 13, 2010 by webmaster · Leave a Comment
Dr. Isaacson performing an Exam
When Desi Ferrell, Executive Director of the he Philadelphia chapter, visited Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa Ethiopia a year ago, she was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problems. The hospital, once the flagship of Ethiopia’s public healthcare system had fallen into disrepair. The pediatric ward was filled with well-appearing children. Each had a plastic tube in the neck (tracheotomy) to breath. The children had such severe problems with their voice boxes that they might die if the tube became clogged. In a country with few paved road and unreliable electricity, it was unsafe to send them home. They were trapped in the hospital – some for years.
Desi recognized that helping these children would take more than a surgical mission. She contacted Glenn Isaacson, MD, a pediatric ear, nose and throat doctor (otolaryngologist) who had worked with Healing the Children for 15 years. Through a series of e-mail conversions with doctors at Black Lion, it became clear that advanced surgery, as HTC-Philadelphia delivers in Central and South America would not be enough. These children needed continuing care – the kind that can be delivered only by well-trained surgeons in the host country. The doctors at Black Lion needed equipment and supplies, but more important they needed on-the-job training in special surgical skills.
This is not the stuff of most surgical missions. Sure we can care for dozens of children on a one week mission, but Ethiopia has over 30 million children, most living in poverty, and only 6 practicing otolaryngologists. The hope for the future was a new residency that was training the next generation of ear, nose and throat surgeons. How could HTC-Philadelphia provide them with the surgical experience needed to care for a country full of kids?
Desi swung into action. She assembled a team of nurses, anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists ready to care for children half a world away. And she found a partner in Ebba K Ebba, MD, an Ethiopian-born, US-trained pediatrician who was working to build a children’s hospital in Addis. Together, they made contacts, arranged for housing, and purchased and transported the large surgical microscope needed to fix the children’s breathing tubes.
In October 2009, HTC visited Black Lion and assessed their needs. This scouting trip was essential for planning future surgical missions. The team learned of Black Lion’s strengths and its weaknesses. They heard of ill-prepared medical missions in the past that led to poor outcomes and deaths. The next six months were spent assembling an experienced and well-equipped team – a team of caring professionals there to support safe surgery and to teach.
In March of 2010 HTC launched it most ambitious mission yet. It included 30 healthcare providers — surgeons, and anesthesiologists as usual, but also an audiologist to do hearing testing and fit hearing aids (Amber Morgan, AuD) and a biomedical technician to fix broken anesthesia machines and monitors. inics and surgery dates were planned as usual, but each was coordinated with otolaryngology residents and nurse anesthesia master students. Every OR session was a teaching session. The team gave lectures and provided hands-on training.
Mike Richtie an outstanding pediatric urologist and HTC-Philadelphia veteran gave grand rounds to the Black Lion pediatricians and pediatrics residents. He performed a series of surgeries for severe, neglected bladder and genitourinary disorders. Every case was a teaching case for the Black Lion pediatric surgeons.
HTC-Philadelphia reached beyond the surgical realm in other ways. Liz Drum and several of the nurse anesthetists went to a newly opened public hospital for neurosurgery to provide advanced anesthesia care for children spinal cord defects and tumors. Amber Morgan worked at the Makanissa School for the Deaf fitting children for hearing aids and teaching the local technicians to be better hearing testers.
The mission was exhausting and elating. HTC cared for over 200 children and performed over major 30 procedures. More important, however, the mission laid the groundwork for continuing education and training of Ethiopian surgeons, nurses and nurse anesthetists — the best hope for Ethiopian children in the future.
Members of Haitian Soccer Team Visit Hospital in San Antonio
April 24, 2010 by webmaster · Leave a Comment
Bethlie and Naika with members of the Haitian National Soccer team
San Antonio, Texas – Recently Mary Ullmann Japhet , Associate Executive Director for San Antonio Sports, had the privilege of accompanying a few Haitian National Soccer team players to Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital to visit two beautiful 10-year-old Haitian girls, Naika and Bethlie. Healing the Children helped secure medical treatment in the US for Naika and Bethlie after it was apparent that they both sustained serious injuries to their legs during the earthquake that needed immediate care. The shy girls’ little faces lit up when these big, strong athletes walked into the room. Right away, the guys pulled up some chairs to sit at their level and visit with them. Ullmann said, “Though I couldn’t understand everything that was being said, it was obvious that both the players and the girls were enjoying themselves.”
The girls have been very picky about their food and have actually lost weight in the hospital, so the players made a bargain with them to come back if they’d start eating properly. The girls need to rebuild their strength and bribery may just work!
When it was time to leave, Bethlie burst into tears. Ullmann said, “In seconds, we were all crying. To see these amazing world-class athletes, many of whom have their own little girls back home living in tents, crying without reserve was humbling. These people have lost so much and yet their spirit remains strong.” The players thanked everyone, over and over, for caring for the girls and for providing for them.
Ullmann continued, “As we walked to the elevator, their coach hugged one of the players who was still crying and reminded the team that the people of Haiti, like these girls, look up to them. He said that they need to remember how much their national team means to all of Haiti. I know these young men will carry Naika, Bethlie and all their Haitian countrymen in their hearts as they compete. I’m honored to have had this brief opportunity to witness such kindness, generosity and spirit.”
Louisville Delegation Brings Help and Hope to Ghana
April 18, 2010 by webmaster · Leave a Comment
Steve Diamond, executive director of the Louisville Chapter of Healing the Children, recently led a delegation to the Tamale Teaching Hospital in Ghana, Africa .
The trip was part of a visit organized by Diamond and the Sister Cities of Louisville, Inc. to develop a relationship between the medical schools and teaching hospitals in Louisville and Louisville’s African sister city, Tamale. Diamond was accompanied by members of the Sister Cities organization, and staff from the University of Louisville Medical School.
While there, the team met with hospital staff to discuss a program that would greatly improve the medical care in Tamale, a city with a population of about 350,000 located in Northern Ghana.
One of the fastest growing cities in the country, Tamale is also one of the poorest. More than 50 percent of Tamale’s population is under 18, yet they have only one pediatrician. The hospital is a fully accredited teaching hospital linked to a new university and medical school built by the government. However, because of the hospital’s aging infrastructure, medical students must often travel approximately 13 hours to Accra, the nation’s capitol, for their clinical rotations. Once there, few come back to practice medicine in Tamale.
The proposed project would take five to seven years to complete and would include training medical professionals, donating medical supplies and renovating the hospital. The Sister Cities of Louisville is providing the local and national government with financial support for this project. They have secured a grant that will fund connecting the hospital to a new municipal water supply from the Volga River. The funds will also be used to build a home where families from outlying areas can stay when their children are hospitalized in Tamale. Currently these families camp out in the nearby fields where there is no sanitation or water.
The Dutch and Chinese governments are also proving funding for the renovation that will further update the hospital’s water and sanitary systems and increase its bed capacity from 326 to 380, and eventually 1600.
Healing the Children and the Sister Cities of Louisville are securing and donating state-of-the art diagnostic equipment and medical supplies. They also plan to support training of doctors in Tamale though an exchange program for senior medical residents and faculty from the University of Louisville School of Medicine to travel and stay in Tamale, and a telemedicine program for training nurses.
The delegation presented the hospital with their first donation, a state-of-the art endoscope worth $50,000 and other medical supplies.
“The donated equipment will help the hospital in its operations and facilitate the exchanges of knowledge between institutions in Louisville and Tamale,” says Diamond.
Dr. Ken Sagoe, Tamale Teaching Hospital CEO, expressed his appreciation for the equipment, saying it was one of the best in the country.
During their stay, the team also toured the School of Medicine of the University of Development Studies and the Central Hospital, West Hospital and Shekmah Clinic. Local chiefs invited the delegation to their “palaces” and they were also hosted by the city’s Mayor.
Ecuador Pediatric Ophthalmology and ENT Medical Mission
April 14, 2010 by webmaster · Leave a Comment
In February 2010, HTC Arizona sent its 2nd pediatric ophthalmology/ENT medical mission to Azogues, Ecuador. The team consisted of 12 volunteer members, plus an HTC administrator. They worked long and hard every day. On the first day, a total of 162 children were screened. Out of these, 58 patients were selected to receive surgeries for either eye related problems, or for ear, nose and throat related issues that were addressed over the next 41/2 days (doing 78 procedures in all). There was excellent cooperation from the host hospital in Azogues, as well as assistance from the Kiwanis of that city.
