At any given time, we're working on behalf of many children. Here are just a few of them:
Oluchi
Oluchi was brought to our attention through Dr. Kennedy Okere, an African doctor who runs a wonderful rural hospital in Nigeria. After we contacted Children's Medical Missions, Tami Shobe found Dr. Robert Marx, a phenomenal oral surgeon who does a lot of work in developing countries.
Dr. Marx agreed and Oluchi made the journey from Nigeria to Miami, where she was treated by Dr. Marx and his skilled and compassionate team. This incredible doctor even paid for some of Oluchi's costs out of his own pocket. She stayed with a wonderful host mother while undergoing treatment and returned to Nigeria with a beautiful smile.
Oluchi After Surgery:
Thanks to all the amazing people
and organizations who came together
to make this miracle for Oluchi.
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Evaline
Our sweet, shy friend Evaline was abducted by Joseph Kony, a warlord in Northern Uganda. She was wounded while protecting a younger child from a bomb attack, using herself as a shield. Shrapnel destroyed her face and she was forced to endure the agony of her wounds alone in the bush. We met her through The Rachele Center in Uganda, who took her in after she managed to escape. We submitted her case to Children’s Medical Missions West and as usual, they came through for us.
Evaline's amazing story has been featured on The Today Show and Oprah. She recently travelled to Washington, DC to tell her story to staff members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Evaline returned home to Uganda just in time to spend Christmas 2006 with her family.
Sewuese
Sewuese was just two years old when our founder Cori Stern met her through Dr. Fidelia Bode-Thomas of Heart Aid Trust in Nigeria. Born with cardiac defects, Seweuse was desperately in need of several major repairs to her tiny heart. Cori found a willing partner in HeartGift of Austin, Texas and brought Sewuese all the way from Nigeria to the Lone Star state for surgery at Children’s Hospital Austin under the skilled hands of Dr. Kenneth Fox. Sewuese is now healthy, happy, and home with her family, the pride of her mother Rebecca. She recently started nursery school and her mother laughingly says "She has too much energy!"
George
Precious George was burned badly by fire on his stomach and hands while living in Sierra Leone as a refugee from the war in Liberia. His wonderful and tenacious mother Mary wouldn’t stop until she found us and stayed on us until we found him free care. To get George to an airport so he could come for care, she had to take a twenty hour bus trip on unpaved dangerously flooded roads and ended up in an accident that claimed the lives of several other passengers. Despite her injuries, she picked George up out of the shattered glass, remarkably unscathed, and carried him in the rain until she reached Freetown, Sierra Leone in time for his flight. He made it here, charmed us all, had a series of very successful skin release surgeries (thanks to Children’s Medical Missions West), and is back home with Mom.
Franklin
From the West African country of Cote d’Ivoire, two year old Franklin swallowed acid and destroyed his esophagus. He was unable to eat, except by feeding through the tubes you see in the photo. While we waited for free care to come through, we paid for his emergency hospitalization in Cote d’Ivoire, due to problems with his feeding tubes.
Children’s Medical Missions West found him free care for us. We flew him here to receive treatment in Ohio - after a very challenging 17 hour flight for Franklin - and even more so for our stalwart escorts Kristi and Amaryllis. He's now able to eat
on his own, had his feeding tube removed, and is home with his family and twin sister!
FRANKLIN the FANTASTIC:
Fr
FRAN
A Few Cases We’re Working On:
Emmanuel
Cori and Kristi met Emmanuel when they were in Cote d'Ivoire, a country in West Africa. He was in an orphanage, in the rebel zone and in obvious need of medical attention. It was a long process but thanks to the hard work of many people, Emmanuel is now in Ohio for hip surgery, following a wonderful stay in Tuscon, Arizona where he received treatment for multiple medical conditions. His host family fell in love with his bright, kind spirit - and his enthusiastic vocal stylings of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in French!
Allasane
A precious 10 year old from Cote d'Ivoire, Allasane has lived with hydrocephalus all his life. We are working with a wonderful Nigerian neurosurgeon - Dr. Femi Bankole - to treat Allasane with a remarkable new shunt surgical procedure. We're raising money for medical and travel costs to help this sweet kid.
Ram
Ram is a wonderful sixteen year old boy who was referred to us by Jane Snyder of Melchizedek's Treasure. Ram was abducted by the LRA in Northern Uganda and suffers from a hip condition, requiring a hip replacement.
We're currently seeking medical care for him and hope to add him to our success list.