helen weld public health

Saturday, April 12, 2008
Email Bits & Photos. .

Here are a few extracts from several emails interspersed with some great photos. Helen hopes to put together a proper post in a few days.

I spent 5 days with a team from Tennessee doing clinics in Taiama near Bo, where we saw about 400 children total. There was a stillbirth and an impending infant death while we there. Upon our departure, a woman tried to leave her two children with us to "take home".

We are heading up country to Bombali District (to the northeast) tomorrow for another long day, to pick up 7 more patients for surgery and "return" two. They are so sweet and grateful. I love handing out chocolate to them. . .pure delight in their faces.

People should be encouraged to go to the WAFF website and click on the ‘What is a Fistula’ tab on the right and in the drop down, watch the video which has no sound in the first bit. It's very powerful.

Sam Pieh , my host and current
country director of the program

Today there was a shortage of disinfectant, laundry soap and salt for their Sitz baths. . . the budget is very tight. This is such an intense place.