AFRICA...

Are you wondering why on earth I would entitle a post "AFRICA"???? Well, God has called Hands That Heal to broaden our ministry to Africa. Not something that we were looking for, quite frankly, it was a bit overwhelming at first!!! But, it was God directed, and we will follow wherever He wants our ministry to go! Our primary focus has always been Haiti, because well, I know Haiti and our Nurse Coordinator goes to Haiti every 6 months on medical mission's trips. Haiti is comfortable, familiar, close, etc...

God has spoken in a VERY CLEAR WAY, and we are just going with the flow!!! Our primary focus will still be Haiti, and probably 95% of our patients will still come from Haiti, but our advisory board has agreed to consider any patient from any country and we will go where we feel God leading. Obviously, there are sick people all over the world that need medical intervention. One small organization like us is a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things. We just feel extremely blessed to be able to be such a small part of God's plan!!!!!! This is my passion, and I know that I am in the center of God's will for my life when I am doing His work for "the least of these"!

So, do you want to meet our first patient from Africa???

Meet: Kwaku Danquah


Kwaku has a congenital condition called Crouzon Syndrome. He is not missing his arm, it is just behind his back. (Here is the brief explanation that my son's Ophthalmologist gave on Kwaku.) It is a condition where the sagittal cranial suture of the skull that is not usually fused in an infant to allow for rapid growth of the skull becomes prematurely fused. The remaining sutures are not closed so the skull continues to grow and this results in the odd shape of the head. The risk it that there could be increased pressure on the brain as well. Also, this condition is sometimes part of a hereditary syndrome called Crouzon syndrome that also includes facial abnormalities like protruding eyes (exophthalmous) and/or strabismus and jaw abnormalities.

Dr. McCabe diagnosed Kwaku from his photo and I started doing research on this particular syndrome. There was a sight that had a lot of information on it, and they had before and after photos of the kids that they treated, and they were amazing. They do not even look like the same kids!!! So, there was a contact button and I e-mailed them, not knowing "who" they were, and the next day got an e-mail stating that he was being submitted to charity care immediately.

Little did I know that I had contacted the World Craniofacial Foundation and Dr. Genecov had forwarded my e-mail on. Kwaku was being submitted to Dallas City Medical, where the conjoined Egyptian twins had been separated, and Dr. Genecov was one of the main surgeons on their case. Dr. Salyer was the leading surgeon and he has now retired. Dr. Genecov studied under him for 12 years.

I was stunned!!! I had 'accidentally' contacted the best place in the world for cranial facial reconstruction, and the best place for Kwaku to have a shot at a much more normal life.

In the last couple of years, they brought a boy here from Uganda with this same condition. I will put some links below for you to go and watch his story on You Tube. It is truly amazing!!!!!!

So, where are we at in his case??? Ghana is getting his passport. We are just waiting for Dallas City Medical to accept his case and we will get all of the letters together for his Medical Visa. God is so cool and I can't believe that we get to be a part of this!!! Please keep Kwaku in your prayers and that we would here something on Monday about his case.

Here are before and after photos of another boy from Africa that they helped. (Blogger will not let me rotate the first set of pre-op pics. It is not this way in its original form.)




AMAZING TRANSFORMATION, RIGHT!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDY20BwDisU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoTMdRInf4Y&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGLTm2Jz8FM

Here is a link to The World Craniofacial Foundation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Alk2QIL5DY

Please take the time to watch all of these. These doctors are transforming lives and spirits!!!

Hands That Heal wants to say a special Thank You to Dr. Genecov for pursuing Kwaku and for the amazing work of WCF!!!

Rebekah Hubley
Founder and Director