Theresa Philbin, RN, CSI Board of Directors member, and long-time clinical lead in Ethiopia, reflects on this trip and the team. At the end of the day today, she shared the following:
While there’s a consistent focus on patients across teams, each trip to Ethiopia is unique. Here are 3 key things we’re thinking about for this trip:
1. We have a full schedule
With our large team, we have been able to schedule 60 patients for the week. That is a larger number of patients compared to most of our Ethiopia trips. It is beautiful to watch the teams care for so many kids.
2. This requires more care that continues after surgery
More than half are urology patients and about 90% of them will stay in the hospital longer for post-operative care. By Tuesday we had 20 patients in the ward, and by Friday we are expecting around 35. While this volume puts a bigger burden on the nursing staff, they are handling it with grace, skill, and compassion.
3. We get to see more teaching and collaboration
We’re fortunate to work in a medical school teaching hospital where our local colleagues are deeply engaged. There has been a lot of teaching and collaboration with staff surgeons, residents, and students across many disciplines, including pediatric anesthesia, urology, and ENT.
This team is amazing, hardworking, and collaborative, and it’s great to able to have glowing things to say about absolutely everyone.
#pediatricsurgery #globalhealth #medicaleducation #partnership
Meet Rahel, age 4, and her mom and big sister. 💛
Rahel’s mom has spent this past week doing all the prep work required for her daughter’s surgery. Several of the tests Rahel needed aren’t available at Tibebe Ghion Hospital, so, like many families, her mom had to work with outside labs.
The CSI team, Ethiopian doctors, and interpreters helped her navigate this process and get the results needed for surgery. Today, Rahel was admitted overnight so she can receive some medications before her operation tomorrow.
In Ethiopia, families typically go to the pharmacy themselves to purchase and bring every medication and medical supply a patient will need for surgery to the hospital – including medications, IV fluids and even gloves. Getting a child ready for surgery takes patience, effort, and determination.
For CSI surgeries, we’re proud to cover the financial burden on families.Those 26 bags of medical supplies go a long way towards this. But there is still so much families undertake to give their children access to life-changing care and their advocacy is always moving.
Tomorrow is Rahel’s big day. We’ll share an update when we can.
And today, 13 more young patients received surgery, thanks to the work of our volunteers and local partners and the determination and efforts of their families.
#globalhealth #pediatricsurgery #nonprofit #pediatriccare
Taitu Tour and Travel Ethiopia
Dr. Phil Chaffin and team got to see familiar faces return today!
We first saw Liyunesh in February, when she was just 7 months old. Born with facial malformations, she and her family had been shunned by their village and told that her condition was caused by wrongdoing by her parents. At that time, her father wrote a letter to CSI, giving us a glimpse into all they had experienced and undertaken to get their daughter to care - including a 12-hour trip from their village.
Now just one-and-a-half years old, Liyunesh’s surgeries with CSI are complete. In a new letter, her father shared much in their life has not changed – they still had a challenging journey, traveling “through difficult circumstance, amid conflict, gunfire and check points, just to reach this place.”
But the change the surgeries will give Liyunesh in her life are evident. “No words can fully express how [grateful] we are [for] everything you have done [for] our daughter and our family.”
#accesstocare #globalhealth #pediatricsurgery #Ethiopia
Day 1 of surgeries is always a busy one, with plenty of anticipation and activity. Surgical and support teams are quietly focused, but highly engaged in their collaboration with one another. Parents show relief in finally getting their children to the day of critical care, but are also keenly aware and concerned for what their child is about to undergo.
And through it all, the children show remarkable patience and provide sweetness and energy, keeping everyone connected and uplifted throughout the day – an amazing affirmation of why we’re all here. Thirteen surgeries were completed today, thanks to the incredible teamwork of everyone involved.
#pediatricsurgery #globalhealth #Ethiopia #nonprofit
“We were very shameful about the baby's cleft before surgery, now we are proud and we feel very happy about the surgery. We would like to thank you very much.” Parent, Ethiopia