Surgical Days

Our 4th day of surgery is in its final hours; 11 year old Solomon was just called into Dr, Steve Muehlstedt’s OR to correct a hernia, and the staff is beginning to pack up supplies before tomorrow’s last day. As mentioned before we sent over supplies anticipating 60, and as of today we’ve screened 198, operating on over 80% of them. Spirits are high as the CSI volunteers pass each other in the busy hallway; a patient being wheeled out of the OR passing another coming out of recovery headed to the Firestone Hospital’s pediatric ward for a night of sleep and observation, passing Joel our Logistics coordinator keeping staff lubricated with waters, bags of Oreos and fruit cups. Every single team member has gone above and beyond to deal with the literal menagerie of walk-ins, post-op patients, parents, hospital staff, pre-ops being screened among throngs of those utilizing the Firestone hospital apart from the CSI program.

As patients have left the OR, the nursing staff in the recovery room (Doris Osuroah and Mary Bye) has cradled the newcomers with open and competent arms. Only after they’ve stabilized are the patients sent downstairs to be received in the ward by the team of Patience Kankeh, Jennifer Kreiman and Denise Hutson. Parents and grandparents in that area are relived to see the first glimpses of their child’s new smiles; hernias gone and grafts newly placed. This afternoon we had a chance to interview a young 11 year old gentleman by the name of Austin, who has kept us in awe with his artistic abilities by drawing fabulous portraits. Austin’s parents separated and then left him to be raised by his grandmother who makes a living selling red peppers. One month after she received him he was hit by a motorcycle while walking along the side of the road (most Liberians get from place to place by walking at the roadside). Austin suffered severe damage to his legs, and the large public hospital told him his legs would need to be amputated. His grandmother refused to believe that no other alternative existed, and so sought help from a number of other clinics but they were too expensive. She then heard team member Lora Koppel interviewed on the local radio station and came to our first day of screening. A team headed by Dr. Boahene performed a right posterior thigh skin graft utilizing the patient’s own skin. Both he and his grandmother are thrilled, and look forward to starting life together.

More later….