Surgical care for children and young adults with correctable spine and heart conditions does not exist in Ethiopia. Untreated these conditions dramatically decrease the quantity and quality of life.
Spine Deformities
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| Nahom |
Nahom Gebre Medhin is a 9 year old boy who came several hundred miles down from Tigrai for treatment. Dr. Hodes diagnosed severe, progressive scoliosis with increasing pain and shortness of breath. His spine was shaped like a question mark, and he had lost nearly half of his lung capacity. Dr. Hodes arranged for free corrective spinal surgery in coordination with the wonderful
FOCOS team in Accra, Ghana.
Heart Valve disorders
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| Gebremariam |
When Gebremariam was 8 years old, he became very sick. He developed a terrible cough, joint pain and incredible fatigue. After going to a local hospital where they took chest x‐rays and ran tests, Gebremariam was diagnosed with Rheumatic heart disease a complication of strep throat. Now in his early teens, he is too weak to
work on his family’s farm or go to school. Now living in the Mother Teresa's Mission, he came to the attention of Dr. Hodes who arranged for free heart surgery in Mumbai, India.
Photos and messages posted by permission
