What they do

1. What they do

2. What they do Patient’s Stories Isatou, burned in an accident at home Isatou is a young girl from the Gambia whose legs were badly burned in an accident in her home. With no facilities in her home country, she urgently required surgery only available at the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Unit in Ghana. Isatou could have been helped but there was no money to pay for her transport and treatment that would have cost around £800. We received no further word about her but in all likelihood she will have lost the use of her legs and will have developed major knee, hip and back problems. Money to treat such cases as Isatou is required as and when they are identified. This also exemplifies the need for continued funding of the charity to fulfil its role of helping spread reconstructive surgery services elsewhere in West Africa. Open fires used for domestic cooking and in the marketplace are the cause of the tragically high numbers of severe burns cases in West Africa. Often the victims are children. Specialist treatment is required to prevent infections and ensure that the skin and tissue heals in such a way that limbs are still functional.

3. What they do Patient’s Stories Fatama, born with a left clip and palete Fatmata is 33 and lives in Sierra Leone. She was never treated as there were never the facilities in Sierra Leone to perform what is elsewhere quite routine surgery on babies. She was lucky to not be ostracised by her community, but coped into adulthood with severe difficulties with speech and with eating. She has two young children and much hope for the future. In 2009 Fatmata came to the Holy Spirit Hospital at Makeni for treatment. At the time a team from ReSurge was at the hospital, working with the staff and the Don Gnocchi Foundation to establish an embryonic reconstructive surgery service. Fatmata was put on a theatre list, and her cleft lip and palate was repaired. Funding raised by ReSurge Africa will help to put in place the training and facilities to help others like Fatmata to build better futures.

4. What they do Patient’s Stories Amekoudi's skin cancer • Amekoudi is a young man from Togo, the country immediately to the east of Ghana. He is an albino and albinos throughout Africa are ravaged by skin cancer as their skin has little natural protection from the sun. • Amekoudi arrived in Ghana from Togo where no treatment is available and had major surgery preformed to remove many of his cancers and reconstruct the wounds resulting from its spread. A Scottish benefactor paid for his treatment and his transport back home. He wrote to us in Scotland telling how this help had changed and brought new hope into his life. We heard nothing more for over a year but following further contact we sent a pickup to the border, brought him to the ReSurge Africa Unit in Accra and removed 57 new lesions from his body. • Unfortunately, although the worst of his cancers have been removed, recurrence is inevitable. To make Amekoudi's life as fruitful, fulfilling and pain free as possible around £200 is required annually to bring him to Ghana from Togo for more surgery, medication and to maintain his spirit and ability to survive.

5. What they do Resurge Africa are still trying to help save many lives. Please visit their website: www.resurgeafrica.org