SPINE SURGERY Dear Friends and Supporters › 2015 › 12 › yearend2015.pdf · JDC SPINE AND...

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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New Spine Patients

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:”