Despite the 113-degree heat, Drs. Ralph Chesson, Cynthia Hall, Karolynn Echols, Mike Conley, Saifuddin Mama, Sage Claydon and Tam Li worked long hours to complete 52 surgeries and exam approximately 125 women. To our great delight, Dr. Abdoulaye Idrissa is now back at the National Hospital, permanently, and is working side-by-side with our doctors!
When the April team arrived at the National Hospital, we went directly to the “Fistula Courtyard”. We were overwhelmed with what we saw… hundreds of women were waiting for help! They had come from as far as the desert city of Agadez and from Maradi – 9 hours by a good 4-wheel truck. We even had patients from Mali and Benin!!! It took some of these women 4 and 5 days of difficult travel to come to Niamey!!
Despite the long hours that our team spent at the Hospital, it was impossible to exam all of the women. Patients continued to arrive everyday – and on the day we departed for home, a beautiful 14-year-old child, accompanied by her mother, arrived at the National, hoping to be helped. It was very difficult for us to leave the hospital… Fortunately, Dr. Abdoulaye is now operating on fistula patients with his own team of Nigeriens. But, unfortunately, because the operating rooms must be shared for other surgeries, Dr. Abdoulaye only has Fridays to do his fistula operations. It is the intent of the Government of Niger and the National Hospital, and IOWD, to build a Fistula/Women’s Health Bloc on the grounds of the National Hospital. With this new Bloc, Dr. Abdoulaye and his team would be able to operate on fistula patients every day!!!! We look to the future to see Niger and the National Hospital as the role model for West Africa in the repair of fistula and improved women’s health.
We extend a gracious thank you to Martha Conley, wife of Dr. Mike Conley, who once again accompanied her husband to Niamey. In the sweltering heat, Martha donned her straw hat and fearlessly braved the craziness of the Grand Marche to purchase beads for Mariama and Haoua. In between their work as nurse’s aides, our former patients, Mariama and Haoua, sat in an airless hospital classroom with Martha every afternoon, beading! They made hundreds of bracelets that were to be sold in America. Martha showed the girls different beading techniques – but more importantly, Martha constantly praised Mariama and Haoua for their work – she gave them special attention and encouraged them, as this is a wonderful way for the two young women to earn money for themselves! Martha’s dedication and perseverance in helping the fistula women is really quite remarkable. IOWD is very lucky to have such a special woman on our team!