So No Child Must Wait

Amadou

Amadou
Originally uploaded by interplast

Bamako, Mali-Beverly Kent, Director of Volunteer Services

Today, our hosts asked us to examine Amadou, a small 8-year-old whose family lives on a farm. Three months ago at the height of the rainy season, Amadou was sent outside to bring in the livestock before the impending storm. As he finished his task, it started to pour. He made a quick dash for the house. Unfortunately, at that exact same moment, Amadou’s aunt was leaving the house with a pot of boiling oil that she was going to dump outside. The two collided at the front door and Amadou was covered with the oil. His face received minor burns, but his torso took the full brunt.

When we arrived at the burn ward, we watched in awe as Amadou’s dressings were taken off for the first time to reveal the severely burned skin beneath. What a courageous little boy!  He was skin and bones, his skin so transparent you could see his heart beating. The mother told us that he was not eating and she was very worried.

Dr. Roberto Roddi examined Amadou and turned to our host colleagues to give them medical advice about his care. Amadou was in dire circumstances. If he didn’t receive a skin graft soon, he was afraid the little boy would not make it. He was losing precious proteins everyday and his chance of survival was very low unless his situation could be reversed. As Roberto was talking, Amadou suddenly reached out his long, skinny arm, and grabbed Roberto’s hand and held on to it as if to say “You are my last chance—please help me.”

There was not a dry eye in the room.

A few days later both surgeons, Roberto and Simone, worked on the skin grafting Amadou needed. Today, he is comfortably settled back in his bed in the burn ward. For the first time in three months he feels no pain. He even asked his mother for eggs. The team is feeling pretty good today.

Oumar

Oumar
Originally uploaded by interplast

Bamako, Mali-Beverly Kent, Director of Volunteer Services.

Our savior continues to be Dr. Oumar Coulibaly, a young intern who works under the mentorship of Dr. Mamby Keita. Oumar hopes to one day become the first plastic surgeon in all of Mali.

Oumar stays with the team from the moment we arrive at the hospital until we leave in the evening, well past the normal working hours of the hospital staff. He even came in on Saturday morning when the team decided they absolutely had to do a skin graft on a young boy who was severely burned three months ago. It was the only time we could fit the four-hour operation into our busy schedule, and Oumar was happy to be there even then.

Gabriel Toure Hospital

Gabriel Toure Hospital
Originally uploaded by interplast

Bamako, Mali-Beverly Kent, Director of Volunteer Services

The team has been working for the past week at the Gabriel Toure Hospital. This is the third year an Interplast team has worked in Bamako and our second year at this hospital.

Our host colleagues have been the same for the past three years—the pediatric surgery service is led by Dr. Mamby Keita. This year everything has gone very smoothly. The Maliens know our routine now, and we know how to maximize our medical exchange with them. We are now working side by side with old established friends.

Day One

Bamako, Mali-Beverly Kent, Director of Volunteer Services.

We left for the hospital around nine this morning and spent most the morning setting up the operating rooms.  Around noon we began clinic, and it went on until 5:30 pm.  There is still plenty of room on the surgery schedule, so even though we will begin the first set of surgeries tomorrow, we will continue to hold clinic on the following days. This way we can evaluate and hopefully operate on as many patients as possible.

Safe and Sound

Bamako, Mali-Beverly Kent, Director of Volunteer Services

We all arrived safe and sound last night. All the medical boxes and the volunteers arrived together. We got out of customs rapidly and were on our way to the hospital and then the hotel in record time. The truck wasn't big enough for all the boxes, so Jacques, one of our coordinator/translators, stayed behind until the truck went back to get him. The hotel is lovely and perfect after a hot sweaty day in Mali.

Dr. Jimmy Mejia

Photo by: Adam Forgash
Originally uploaded by interplast

Loja, Ecuador-Emily Ulm, Interplast volunteer nurse

It has been over a week since we left Ecuador and returned home.  While it is great to be back home (as I am a newlywed!), I definitely miss the dynamics of the team.  It is difficult to make such close friendships over such a short period of time, and then have to say good-bye, knowing that I will possibly never see these wonderful people again.  And I do miss making a difference in the lives of people who might not otherwise have a chance for help if it weren't for Interplast.

One very encouraging result of this trip was that a third-year plastic surgery resident, Dr. Jimmy Mejia, was taught first-hand by Dr. Ian Wilson to operate on cleft lips and palates.  Dr. Mejia, who is originally from Loja, is completing his training in Guayaquil.  Once he’s through with his studies, Dr. Mejia plans to return to Loja to continue what Interplast has begun.  With excellent teaching, and equally excellent translating by medical student Sophie Post and Liliana Vazquez, Dr. Mejia was able to successfully operate on a palate and a lip by the end of our trip.  Dr. Wilson was very proud.

I must also add that Dr. Mejia was an excellent host of his native city.  One evening he took a few of us to the local fair where we played foosball, ate fried coconut and shopped for souvenirs.  Thank you Dr. Mejia.