Liberian Fistula Program continues with your Caring Crowd funds

By: Dr. Ambereen Sleemi, Executive Director

I returned from Liberia this past December, completing our 1st phase of our fistula project that was funded through your donations on Caring Crowd. This is a continuation of our ongoing fistula project since 2015. Delivering bags full of much needed suture and antibiotics (not available at Phebe Hospital), evaluating over 40 women for surgery, completing 18 operations and treating at least 5 more with non-surgical therapy. We are set to return in January 2020 to complete the second part of this campaign. Local paper New Dawn Liberia covered our trip, and we meet with Dr Jefferson Sibley, Chief Medical Officer at Phebe Hospital and Dr Bannet Ndyanabangi, the new UNFPA Liberia country representative, securing our commitment to return in early 2020 and every 4 month for the remainder of the year and beyond, hoping to complete at least 50 fistula surgery operations. Surgical training is a large part of our commitment and I had 2 new younger surgeons eager to learn about vaginal surgical approaches and basics of obstetric fistula surgery.

And we got thrilling news! Meet Matina and her newborn. Matina had 2 previous fistula repairs in Liberia with our team in the last few years. She’s been dry and became pregnant. She came to the maternity waiting home and last week had a safe cesarean section and delivered her healthy baby boy. This is part of what your generous donations make possible. Thank you, thank you! Please consider an additional donation so we can bring the best care to the most vulnerable populations around the globe.