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JDC SPINE AND HEART PROGRAM
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SPINE SURGERY$18,000-$22,500
Dear Friends and Supporters:
HEART SURGERY $2,500-$10,000
At year’s end, we’d like to report on our work, thank you, and ask for your
continued Support.
International Life-Saving Surgery ProgramDr. Rick Hodes, Medical Director- AJJDC Ethiopia
December 2015
JDC SPINE AND HEART PROGRAM
We’vehadanamazinglybusyandsuccessfulyear.
Patients:
Hearts: We have 154 new heart patients so far this year, and we’ve sent 2 groups to India for surgery.
Takealookat2yearoldNatnael.Naticametouswith2problems:hewasbornwithcataracts,makinghimblindfrombirth.Plus,hehadaPDA(patentductusarteriosus)shuntingalotofbloodawayfromhisheart.(Theductusnormallyclosesatbirth,butsometimesremainsopen,especiallyathighaltitudeslikeours,causingpotentialheartfailure).CataractsshouldbeoperatedonwithintheGirst2monthsoflife.ButnobodywouldtouchNati’seyes–duetoheartissues.Hence,heremainedblindandweak.Hisdedicatedmomwas100%supportive,fedhim,carriedhim,andkepthimgoing.WhenshecametousandwerealizedthatwehadagreatopportunitytochangeNati’slife.
Ledbymyassistant,Kaleab,NatiandhismomtravelledtoIndiawith13patientsinOctober.HeunderwentclosureofhisPDA,followedbycataractsurgeryafewdayslater.Hiseyesremainedcoveredforaweek,andthenbandageswereremovedandhelookedathismomfortheGirsttime–andsmiled!Momreportsthatheiswalkingonhisown,trackingobjects,asherewiresbraincircuits,learningtoseefortheGirsttime.Nowhehasachancetogoforwardinlife.
Spines:Wehave424newspinepatientssofarthisyear.Thisisanotherrecordforus.We’vesent76patientstoGhanaforsurgery.Onarrival,atleasthalfunderwentmonthsoftraction,beforecorrectivesurgery.
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JDC SPINE AND HEART PROGRAM
OurPartners:ThishasbeenayearGilledwithvisitors.
Dr.OhenebaBoachiecametoEthiopia3timesthisyear.Heoperatedon27patients,adjustinggrowingrodsandmore.
Dr.KamalIbrahim,themostseniorspinesurgeoninChicago,made2tripstoEthiopia.InOctober,hearrivedwithateamof10doctorsandnurses,sponsoredbytheNuvasiveCorporation.Theyoperatedon5patients,andbegantrainingEthiopiansurgeonsandnursesinspinesurgery.
Dr.TedBelanger,ofDallas,cametoEthiopiainMay,andoperatedon14patientssponsoredbyMedtronicCorporation.
Oneboy,Asalefew,hadsomeneurologicimpairmentaftersurgery.Hepursuedhisphysicaltherapywithsuchdedicationthatwenowsaythathe’slying–hisnameisnolongerAsalefew,it’sHaileGebre-Selassie,ourgreatrunner!NowAsalefewiswalkingupastorm.
Dr.SarahWoodrowofKansaswasinEthiopia,sponsoredbyDePuySpines.Sheoperatedon3ofourpatients,includingYalew,ayoungmanfromGondarwhowasvirtuallyparalyzed.Hecouldnotwalkandcouldlifthishandsonly6inches.Nowhe’swalkingandfeedinghimself!
Texas:RecentlyRickwasinTexastospeakinseveralvenues,arrangedbyfriendsKathyandJohnWard.Atthesametime,Rick’ssonDejenearrivedwith2spinepatients.Dejene,whoGirsttraveledtoTexasasayoungorphanin2002forhisownTBspinesurgery,broughtnewpatientsandtranslatedforthem.Dr.TedBelangeroperatedonthematMedicalCenterofPlanowithgreatsuccess:
HaymanotcamefromthecountrysideandwaslivinginachurchinAddisAbaba,whenRickadmittedhimtoMotherTeresa’sMissionfornutritionalsupport.Hehadprogressiveankylosingspondylitis,bentoverata90oangle,supportinghimselfwithastickashewalked.WhenthepossibilityofgettingsurgeryinAmericacameup,westarted2
programs:educationandnutrition.HewenttoschooltostudyEnglisheveryday.AndwegavehimPlumpy-Nut,acalorie-densepeanutsupplement,whichcostabout1dollar-a-day,providinganextra1000calories.Haymanotadded20poundsandfeltstrongerthanever.After14hoursofsurgery,involvingmultipleSmith-Petersenosteotomies,hestandsreallystraight.HeisnowinphysicaltherapyinDallas.HewantstoreturnhomeforEthiopianChristmas,January7th.
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JDC SPINE AND HEART PROGRAM
GarySegalisourCanadianfriendandsupporterwhoorganisedtheBringBackHopeDinnerwww.bringbackhope.comin2012.Moreover,GarysponsoredapatientnamedTesfayeforcomplicatedspinesurgeryinVancouver,andwelcomedTesfayeintohishomefor6months.GaryreturnedtoEthiopiaandagaintraveledwithTesfayetohisAgawvillageinruralGojjam.TheJDCBoardvisited,andreviewedourwork.OursupportersTheMaxandMarianFarashFoundationofRochester,NYvisitedourworkfortheGirsttime.AmbassadorSusanJacobs,PresidentObama’sSpecialEmissaryforChildren,visitedourclinicatYekatit12Hospitalandmetmanyofourpatients.
Rickreceivedanhonorarydoctorateinscience,DSc,fromKenyonCollegeinOhioattheircommencementinMay.ItishisGifthhonorarydoctorate.Donations:HenrySchein,InccontinuestodonateINRtestingsuppliestoussothatwecandofreefollowuponheartpatientstakingbloodthinners.Mostarequitepoor,andthisisahugehelpinprovidingthemqualitycardiaccare.
ScoliosisResearchSociety(SRS)donatedhundredsofbackpacksforourpatients.
Sustainability: Wearemovingforwardtomakeourworkmoresustainable.Wehave2Ethiopiansurgeons–1orthopedicand1neurosurgeon,whowanttobecomespinesurgeons.Dr.Eskindervolunteerswithuseveryweek,andbothwereintheoperatingroomwithourvisitingteams.Welookforwardtothetimeinafewyearswhentheywillbeabletodooureasiercaseswithoutassistance.
FoodShortfall: Ethiopiahassufferedfromlackofraininsomeregions,andissufferingfromafoodshortfall.InthewordsoftheEthiopiangovernment:“thecountrynowfacesdeepeningfoodinsecurityandsoaringmalnutritionrates,especiallyamongchildrenandmothers.”WorkingcloselywithEthiopianauthorities,JDCisplanninganimmediateresponsetosupplysupplementaryfoodforthemajorityofaffectedpeoplein1regionofGondarprovince,targetingfoodassistanceto5400childrenandmothers.Thiswillbefollowedbythediggingof5wells.
Futureevents:MargaritaManduley,aprominentattorneyinLosAngeles,willhostafund-raisingeventwithherhusbandattheirLaLoggiaRestaurantonSunday,March20,2016.MargaritahasbeentoGhanaseveraltimesaswellasEthiopiaandseenGirst-handtheworkwedo.
RickwillbecommencementspeakeratUniversityofRochesterMedicalSchoolinMay,2016.
MediaCoverage:Zemene,aGilmaboutourpatient,anorphanfromGondarwithspinedisease,hasshownatoveradozenGilmfestivals,andwon8awards,includingBestDocumentary(Boston)andBestoftheFestival(Ohio).AbrahamVerghese,authorofCuttingforStone,calledit“Justbrilliant.”Itisnowavailableforpurchaseonline:www.zemeneGilm.com/shop.
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JDC SPINE AND HEART PROGRAM
MiddleburyMagazinerecentlydidamajorproGileonRick:http://sites.middlebury.edu/middmag/2015/11/06/the-life-and-times-of-rick-hodes/ AuthorWyattOrmespent10daysatRick’sside,exploringhisworkfromeveryangle.
RickwroteaguestblogofourTBspinepatientMubarakforAbrahamVerghese'sStanford25Website:https://stanford25blog.stanford.edu/2015/10/dr-rick-hodes-on-the-approach-to-spinal-disease/
FuturePlans: Undoubtedly,wewillcontinuetogetalargenumberofpatients,aswordspreadsofourwork.WewillcontinueworkingwithourpartnersDr.Boachie,Dr.Kamal,DrTed,andDr.Sarah,trainingEthiopianphysicians.Weneedtohandlethelargeamountofdatawecollectinamoreprogrammedmanner.Ourgoalistohaveafullyfunctioningspinecentre.Weaimtokeepthecardiacprogramatthesamelevel.
GarySegalbrought2spinesurgeonsfromVancouvertoanalyseourwork.Theycalculatedthatthereareperhaps50,000Ethiopianswithspinaldeformities.Havingdoneover500surgeries,weareonly1%done!Plus,with3millionbirthsperyear,morebabieswillbebornwithcongenitaldefects.
It’shumblingtothinkthatwehavecomefromnothingtoperformingwell-over500spinesurgeries–andstillhavetensofthousandsneedingourimmediatehelp.Threeweeksago,wesent23“super-urgent”patientstoGhanafortractionandsurgery.Despitethis,wehavehundredswaitingforsurgery,including44newlyclassiGiedas“1+,”ourmosturgentcases.
Whateverholidaysyoucelebrate,wehopetheyareGilledwithwarmthandloveandhealthandgoodhope.Withyourhelp–andwiththeAlmighty’s–wecanmoveforward.Manythanksforyoursupport!
Dr. Rick and the JDC-Ethiopia spine and heart teamwww.rickhodes.org
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“Photos and stories taken with permission:”