Say hi to Dalibe Unke! She has 10 living children and has been living with a second degree pelvic prolapse for a year. She is so grateful to MWAHFE for sponsoring her surgery. Thank you for making a difference in her life!
Surgical Success Stories - #103 to #109 (Wow!)
We are so please to introduce you to these women who have had their prolapse uterus surgeries sponsored by you - our generous donors!
Please meet Befene Babulo who has had surgery for uteropelvic prolapse. She is 58 years of age, a widow and has delivered 10 children. Thank you for helping make a great difference in her life.
Deligate Kajala has been pregnant eight times and has three living children. She is a widow from Ajora and has suffered with severe uterine prolapse for a few years. We are so glad to be able to sponsor her life-changing surgery! Deligate is the 104th woman we've sponsored for surgery.
This is Wogate Abebe, a widow who has been pregnant eight times and has six living children. For the last three years she has been bothered with her prolapse occurring at times and then being reduced. However, she has had severe prolapse for three months and has now been sponsored by MWAHFE for her surgery!
This is Belaynesh Budacho, a 45-year-old married woman who has been pregnant 13 times. She has eight living children and has suffered from third degree prolapse for three years. She underwent surgery August 1st. We're so happy for you, Belaynesh!
This is Ukume Dargaso, a 60-year-old widow who has suffered from third degree prolapse also for three years. She has five children but has been pregnant nine times - one child died and she had three miscarriages. She also underwent surgery on August 1st.
From Dr. Mark:
We'd like you to meet Ayinate Lota, a widow who has had severe prolapse for seven years. She also has a loiter of her thyroid and her thyroid levels were elevated to where we could not perform her surgery. She was supposed of had surgery on August 1st but due to her high thyroid levels we had to cancel her surgery after spending two days in the hospital. We put her on anti-thyroid medication and will see her again next month. We paid for her transportation to go home and to return. She is 50 years old with nine living children. She stated that her prolapse prevented her from being able to work to help herself financially.
We're hoping that you will be well enough for your surgery very soon, Ayinate!
UPDATE: Ayinate was able to have her surgery in February 2018. We're so happy for you!
From Dr. Mark:
Dear all, please meet Biranesh Bugle, a widow who has been pregnant seven times has five children. She has had 4th° pelvic prolapse for three years. She underwent surgery today. Thank you so very very much. God bless you!!
The People Behind the Projects: Mark & Allison Karnes
We had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Mark and Allison Karnes and learn a little more about what inspires them to do this life-changing work in Ethiopia. Dr. Mark is responsible for the prolapsed uterus surgeries, and his wife Allison is the brains behind the WRAPs (washable, reusable, affordable pads) project.
Not everyone has the temperament and motivation to pick up their lives and move to Cameroon.
But Allison and Mark Karnes decided that was the path for them. Oh, and they did it with a baby on the way.
The couple made the trek to central Africa shortly after Dr. Mark graduated, where they operated a primary care clinic.
Life wasn’t always easy – the heat was intense and they dealt with malaria, parasites and all kinds of realities of life that don't exist in the States – but it’s a special part of their history.
Two of the Karnes' children were born in Cameroon, and when they left five years later, a third was on the way. They now have five children, several of whom have lived and worked in various parts of Africa.
A few of the MWAHFE committee members who went to visit with Mark and Allison Karnes in Port Huron. We had a lovely chat at Cracker Barrel! What an honour to find out a little bit more about this inspiring couple.
It would be more than two decades after that journey in Cameroon that the Karnes returned to the continent, spending 25 years in Michigan in between. There, Dr. Mark ran his own gynaecological practice.
“We knew that at some point in time we’d go back in Africa,” he said.
They couldn’t stay away, and they felt called to return. Just over a month after retirement, the Karnes landed in Ethiopia.
“When you visit Africa, it gets in your bloodstream. You get infected with it,” said Mark.
And it would be about more than just serving the people. The Karnes were inspired to share their knowledge and leave a lasting legacy behind.
It was at a medical missions conference that they learned about the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS), an organization that seeks to keep African surgeons at home, with hopes of reversing the “brain drain” that often draws the best and brightest physicians to developed countries like the US and Canada.
Knowing they wanted to contribute to that initiative helped narrow down the options for a return to the African continent.
But why Ethiopia?
“They had coffee there. And popcorn,” Dr. Mark said with a chuckle.
Of course the decision was more complicated. The Ethiopian climate attracted the Karnes, and Allison formed a special bond with friends at the Soddo Christian Hospital.
“When you visit Africa, it gets in your bloodstream.”
It seemed like a good fit.
And PAACS drew them in.
“It's one thing to know how to perform a caesarian, and save the life of mother and baby. But to teach someone how to do that is (about) duplication,” said Mark. And at the Soddo Christian Hospital, that's exactly what he does.
Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia volunteers even had the chance to take a peek at a surgery conducted by Dr. Mark – with help from an training doctor – on a recent trip. Practicing medicine is very different, even at a privately-funded hospital, in Ethiopia. Supplies are not always readily available, and even water isn't a guarantee.
But what struck our volunteers the most was the incredible patience that Dr. Mark showed throughout the course of the operation. Not only was he working to repair a delicate reproductive system, but he was sharing his knowledge with a less experienced surgeon.
“It's very important, because I'm not always going to be there,” Dr. Mark said.
Dr. Mark chats with Shelley outside the Bucama Health Clinic in rural Ethiopia in February 2017. This facility directs some patients to Soddo Christian Hospital to undergo surgery with Dr. Mark.
While Mark is changing lives in the operating room (learn more about prolapse), Allison is out doing the same in rural schools all over the region with the WRAPS initiative. (Check out our spotlight story on WRAPS here!)
“We talk a lot about menstruation and what it is, and the biology of it,” said Allison. “I talk a lot about being safe, because rape is still a big concern.”
The WRAPS – washable, reusable, affordable pads – have caught the eye of many, including some local and influential leaders who have brought Allison into schools that had never received similar programming.
Allison teaches a workshop on WRAPS at Abba Pascal Girls School, one of the sites for Girls Gotta Run programming.
It’s sweet to listen to Mark and Allison talk about their lives. What’s clear is that the couple has an incredible bond and partnership. They know each other’s passions inside and out, and the pride in their voices is evident when they talk about those projects.
Over their decades in Ethiopia, the Karnes have played witness to so much change – and progress.
“In 2007 there was only one paved road in Soddo,” said Mark. “When we first arrived, all of the taxis were donkeys and mules and horses.”
There wasn't a bajaj in sight.
Just seven years ago, about 94% of women were estimated to be delivering their children at home without medical care. Now that’s dropped to about 50%, Mark said.
Development is constant, and life changes all the time.
“They even, on the weekends at this one hotel, have ice cream,” said Mark with awe.
It’s amazing how much can change with “funds and a little heart,” said Allison.
The Karnes are the perfect example of that. And there’s so much more the couple hopes to accomplish.
“I can’t live long enough to do enough there. I have projects that would keep me busy for another 100 years,” Allison said. “It only takes a little money to change the lives of an entire community.”
Despite the hard work and the long hours, the Karnes said it is an honour and a joy to work, live and serve in Soddo.
“We are the ones who are blessed,” Mark said.
“We learn so much from the Ethiopian people.”
Surgical Success Stories - #101 and #102
Even as we were celebrating our 100th surgery, Dr. Mark sent us the photos and stories of two more women who had just been sponsored! As great as the milestone was, we're even more excited to be able to continue this life-changing work through Dr. Mark and his team at Soddo Christian Hospital.
Meet Bazite and Akala... more lives changed by your generosity and financial partnership.
This is Bazite Mandabo, a widow from Bucama who has had prolapse for five years. She has been pregnant seven times, has had three miscarriages and has three living children.
This is Akala Awandu, also a widow, who has had fourth degree prolapse for 10 years. She has been pregnant four times and has three living children. She was brought to Soddo Christian Hospital by Dr. Mary Vanderkooi who has a mobile clinic in a very rural area, Adjura, where she takes care of some of the poorest of the poor.
Celebrating 100 Surgeries: Amarach's Story
“Now I am glad, I am joyful, I can do whatever I want.”
Amarach, 45, from a rural community near the Bucama Health Clinic outside Soddo, Ethiopia
Those are the words of Amarach, a 45-year-old mother of 11 children who suffered with a prolapsed uterus for a year. What she remembers most about the condition?
The shame, the pain, and the smell.
“I was smelling, it was not good. Even the wound was bleeding,” Amarach told us when we sat down to chat at the Bucama Health Clinic in Ethiopia.
No one understood what was wrong – but they could smell it. So Amarach hid herself away and share her suffering with anyone.
Her kids noticed something was afoot. But Amarach felt ashamed about what was happening with her body.
When her family asked what was wrong, she said, “oh, I don’t know.” Her husband threatened to leave her, and told her “there is no pain.”
Amarach was tired. She’d been leaving with near-constant pain. She felt so weak.
The nuns at Bucama tried to help Amarach, giving her medication. But three weeks later, the pain came back with a vengeance. She was referred to Soddo Christian Hospital. She needed surgery to correct her prolapsed uterus.
Without Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia, the procedure would have been impossible.
“I had nothing, not even one cent, one birr,” Amarach said about paying for an operation.
She was overwhelmed with gratitude, thanking us profusely. Amarach raised her arms to the heavens to thank God for answering her prayers when she spoke about the surgery.
It gave Amarach her life back.
“Now I am glad, I am joyful, I can do whatever I want.”
“I am so sorry for those who did not have a chance to have this surgery like me,” she said.
Everything has changed for her.
“Now I am happy. My body smells like perfume – better than perfume.”
Thank you, Amarach, for your courage, your heart, and for inviting us to share in a moment of beautiful vulnerability. We are so thankful.
Surgical Success Stories - #98, #99 and #100 (WOW!)
We are thrilled to be introducing you to the latest three women who have had their prolapse uterus surgeries sponsored by MWAHFE. What a joy it is to know that 100 women have had their lives changed by the generous donors who have made their surgeries possible!
Ukume Aniulo has 10 children and has been suffering with a total prolapse for two years. Now she will be able to live her life again!
Alemitu Chemere has been pregnant nine times but only six of her children are living. She has had a total prolapse for nine months. She says that it is very difficult for her to walk because of this problem and is it very excited to have her life back.
Tirame Fremo has suffered from third degree UVP for more than 2 years. She has been pregnant 10 times and now has seven living children. She was able to make a small down payment towards her surgery but the vast majority was covered by MWAHFE. Thank you for helping this woman regain her dignity.
Surgical Success Stories - #93... all the way to #97!
Dr. Mark and his obstetrics team at Soddo Christian Hospital have been busy! They have just sent us the photos and stories of six more women who have had their lives changed through surgeries sponsored by Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia.
Majute Badacha is a 45-year-old woman who has had four pregnancies and four children. She has had prolapse for six years and has been a widow for four years. Thank you so much for making a big difference in her life.
Dinkenesh Folla has been pregnant five times and has been a widow for 10 years. She was suffering from third-degree UVP for eight years. Thank you for helping her.
Guneshe Olecha has been pregnant nine times. She delivered six children, had three miscarriages and has three living children. She has suffered with a very large cystocele for six years. She has been a widow for nine years. She is so grateful that she underwent surgery.
Marta Mota Gravida is an extremely poor woman. Her husband left her eight years ago to raise her children by herself. She had severe abnormal bleeding and cystocele. Thank you for making such a difference in her life. She received two units of blood before surgery and one unit at the end of her surgery. She is now doing very well!
Dupase Ducho has delivered 10 childrenand sadly, only two are living. She has been a widow for 16 years and has suffered with severe prolapse for six years. She is very grateful for her surgery.
Surgical Success Stories - #88... all the way to #92!
We are so pleased to introduce you to three women whose surgeries were sponsored by Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia. Thank you too all of our donors who have helped to change these lives.
This is Mune Desalegn. She is 80-years-old and has delivered 14 children. Seven of these children are still living. She has been a widow for 20 years and has suffered with prolapse for several years.
Mane Eligo has been a widow for eight years. She has delivered seven children and has four of them remaining. She has suffered greatly with severe prolapse for four years.
Burkinesh Birahanu has suffered from 4th degree uterine vaginal prolapse for over six years. She is married and has been pregnant seven times. Burkinesh underwent surgery earlier this week.
Galene Esrael is a 60-year-old mother who has had 4th degree prolapse for six years. She is married and is very grateful that she is having surgery done. This is going to make such a tremendous change in her life.
Kongit Kolicha had 3rd degree uterine prolapse and underwent surgery earlier this week. Her family only had funds to pay for 20% of her care. The rest of it as being under written by MWAHFE. She is very happy for this great contribution that will help change her life. She had suffered from prolapse for greater than six years. She is married and has six children. Thank you thank you so very much for your help!
Surgical Success Stories - #85, #86, #87
This is Aster Kebede. She has never been pregnant but has cared for her sick husband for many years. It is very unusual for a woman who has never conceived to have third-degree UVP.
Her work is very hard and she has carried heavy loads that has contributed to this condition. She will be undergoing surgery today.
This is Asnakech Manduro. She has been pregnant nine times and has eight living children. She has a very large sister cystocoele/rectocoele and will be undergoing surgery tomorrow.
This is Alemetu Toga. She has delivered six children and has suffered with a third degree prolapse for three years. She is also scheduled for surgery tomorrow.
It has been our great joy to be a part of changing these women's lives!
Surgical Success Story - #84
Shelley and Megan were two of the team members who were recently in Ethiopia and met some of these beautiful women. When we received Mamite's story and photo shortly after their return home, Shelley had this response:
“This lady’s story has so much more meaning when you have sat down (like Megan and I did) with the women who have had the surgery. This poor woman has lived through terrible, unimaginable circumstances for the past 6 years. Thank God, she will have a new life after her surgery!”
From Dr. Mark:
"Please meet Mamite Arma. She is 61 years old who had a fourth degree prolapse. She has been pregnant seven times and has five living children. She has suffered from prolapse for six years, making it too difficult for her to even leave her house. Thank you for making such a difference in her life. God bless you."