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
What’s ahead this week? There are two primary categories of surgeries – Ear/Nose/Throat and Urological. Following patient screening, CSI surgeons, local surgeons, and the clinical lead created their plan for the week.
Dr. Ebone Bady and Dr. Phillip Chaffin, along with our local colleagues, will perform 28–30 ENT surgeries for pediatric patients. These will include cleft lip repair, cleft palate repair and nasal stenosis repair.
For urological surgeries, Dr. Pankaj Dangle and Dr. Kara Saperston, along with our local colleagues, will see 27 patients, all returning for follow-up procedures.
As children grow, their changing bodies can require additional procedures. The ongoing partnership between CSI and College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, means these children can continue to receive the surgical care they need as they grow – and it’s always heartening to see these children and their sweet faces as they get older!
#pediatricsurgery #Ethiopia #globalhealth #changinglives
So much happens on screening days. CSI surgeons consulting with local surgeons on plans for the week. The flurry of unpacking the 20+ suitcases of supplies and organizing them into a temporary storage space for the week. Setting up the ORs. And the actual screening of patients to clear them for surgery — more than 90 children were screened today!
Amid all this, CSI’s mission of education shines through.
It’s not unusual for a child to not pass screening for surgery due to low vitals or weight. But families aren’t turned away – they’re supported to help get the child to where they need to be for surgery.
In the first photo, nurse Amy Smith, working through an interpreter, is showing a family member how to use specialized Dr. Brown's feeding bottles. The family will be sent home with bottles and formula to ensure a cleft-palate infant can thrive, grow, and be healthy for a future surgery.
The local team in Bahir Dar will then work with the family to schedule the child for a future CSI trip. These ongoing relationships with families and patients are some of the inspiring moments that help fuel volunteers through a very busy day.
#cleftstrong #pediatricsurgery #globalhealth #teamwork
“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