Week # 5

I had opportunity this week to meet Rebecca Tetteh.  I accompanied her to an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon in East Lagon, Ghana.   She is the girl with the crutches in the picture.  She is 10 years old.  Let me tell you about Rebecca.


Rebecca was born with bilateral dislocated hips (or hip dysplasia, I don’t know for certain which) and bilateral club feet.  To ambulate she had learned to pull herself along on all fours as a baboon would.  She would pull herself along to and from school each day, a distance of about half a mile.  She lives in Sotad village, about 50 kilometers from Accra.  


About three or four years ago a humanitarian missionary couple for the church discovered her in her village.  They arranged for her to be fit with a wheelchair through the LDS charities wheel chair program.   The care given her, however, did not stop with the wheelchair.   The humanitarian missionary couple, along with the medical advisor (same position I am now filling) started looking into other options that might be available to help her.  Over the course of a year these missionaries and the doctor arranged for her to be seen by orthopedic specialists that could surgically help her.  About two years ago she had her feet repaired and soft tissue contractures of her hips released.  When healed she was fit with shoes through the Orthopedic Training Center in Nsawam.  Crutches were made for by a volunteer here in Accra.  These pictures show her feet, before and after, and her standing for the first time, on crutches.   

 

Those that have helped Rebecca in the past continue wanting to help her.  Even though these loving people are back in the states they had arranged for Rebecca’s visit last Wednesday at an orthopedic clinic on the outskirts of Accra to be seen by one of the surgeons.  I was contacted and asked to help facilitate the visit.  Rebecca, her mother Roselin, and her brother Michael travelled by public transportation for two hours to get to the clinic in East Lagon.  I met them at the clinic.  Unfortunately, the doctor who examined Rebecca felt he had nothing further he could offer her in regards to her hips.  He suggested we see an orthopedic surgeon in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana who might be able to help.  This is not possible due to the difficulty of travel (about 8 hours distance from here).  We are all looking into other options, including evaluation and treatment in the states.  

I have been here five weeks now.   My frustrations with the medical system seemed to all collide with this little girl’s trip to East Lagon on Wednesday.  It took months to arrange the visit, all done through e-mails from the states.  When we checked in at 8:00 a.m. the receptionist told us we didn’t have an appointment.  When I produced copies of the e-mail correspondence she was able to miraculously find the appointment.  Even though the appointment was at 8:00 a.m. we waited approximately two hours to be seen.  The doctor did not seem very understanding of our desire to see what else could be done for this little girl.   I thought he dismissed our questions without much consideration.  I asked if his clinic would do x-ray films of her hips, pelvis, and LS spine.  He declined.  He suggested we see an orthopedic surgeon in the Brong Ahafo Region without giving any thought to the difficulty facing us in getting this girl there for evaluation.   I left the clinic quite upset.  And discouraged.  But Rebecca and her mother just smiled.  They seemed to have an abundance of the patience I was lacking.  They didn’t seem to be upset.  I drove them to the bus connection.   This little girl represents all that can be done to give compassionate, Christian, service to one in need.  One surgery has graduated her from baboon crawling to crutch walking.  Can we get another surgery, or two, to allow her to walk without crutches?  Pray for such a miracle.

I have been invited to meet again with Dr. E. D. Kitcher, head of the ENT department at Korle Bu.  I will meet with him tomorrow.  I’m hoping there might be a way to become involved with his training program. 

Last item:  two weeks ago I mentioned the upside down swivel desk chair.  This week it was the entire set of tables and bench chairs.  Only not on motorcycles.  I continue to be amazed at what these Ghanaians carry on their heads.