On Monday I visited the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. I had heard about this very special hospital before and wanted to do a freelance story on it.
This is the only hospital in the world dedicated to treating fistula, which is a devastating birth-related injury that afflicts many young women in the developing world. Since many women in rural Ethiopia and other poor countries get married and then pregnant when they are quite young -- and also because they often have worked hard since childhood without getting proper nutrition -- their bodies are simply not sufficiently developed to safely give birth. At least not without professional assistance such as by a midwife, which is hardly ever available out in the countryside. One of the patients I talked to - who let me interview her (using an interpreter) and photograph her as long as I, according to hospital policy, don't publish her real name -- has a rough life story that unfortunately is not uncommon. Living in a village in northern Ethiopia, she got married when she was almost 15, pregnant when she was 17 and was due to give birth when she was 18. She endured five hellish days of labor, simply unable to get the baby out. Finally she was taken to a local hospital. They removed the bab
y but too late -- it had died. Some of the young woman's inner organs at this point had ruptured. Now she had fistula, leaking urine permanently. Her husband soon divorced her. Many women in this situation would now be doomed to a life as an outcast, rejected by almost everyone because they smell so horrible. This girl was lucky in the sense that she had relatives who cared for her and who took her to the fistula hospital in Addis. Despite all her troubles, she appeared very nice and sweet when I talked to her, smiling shyly as she recov
ered in bed after surgery. The surgery, by the way, is only a part of the process needed to rehabilitate these women, whose lives really have been shattered. The hospital offers language classes, knitting and other activities for the recovering patients, helping them to rebuild their self confidence until they're eventually ready to return to society. It's a whole package and it was very impressive to see. I was fortunate to sit down and drink tea with and interview Catherine Hamlin, who founded this unique hospital in 1974 with her husband. Now 83, Catherine is still active, operating on patients every Thursday if not out of town to raise money for the hospital, plan new health centers and so forth. She and her staff are doing wonderful things for so many women (over the years they have helped some 32,000 women). It was a privilege to meet Catherine and the other staffers, and of course the patients, who seemed so brave amidst their suffering, lifted by the knowledge that here they had found an oasis of hope and care. Special thanks to Ruth Kennedy, the hospital liaison who helped arrange my visit and showed me around. It was an experience that touched me deeply and that I will always remember.
y but too late -- it had died. Some of the young woman's inner organs at this point had ruptured. Now she had fistula, leaking urine permanently. Her husband soon divorced her. Many women in this situation would now be doomed to a life as an outcast, rejected by almost everyone because they smell so horrible. This girl was lucky in the sense that she had relatives who cared for her and who took her to the fistula hospital in Addis. Despite all her troubles, she appeared very nice and sweet when I talked to her, smiling shyly as she recov
ered in bed after surgery. The surgery, by the way, is only a part of the process needed to rehabilitate these women, whose lives really have been shattered. The hospital offers language classes, knitting and other activities for the recovering patients, helping them to rebuild their self confidence until they're eventually ready to return to society. It's a whole package and it was very impressive to see. I was fortunate to sit down and drink tea with and interview Catherine Hamlin, who founded this unique hospital in 1974 with her husband. Now 83, Catherine is still active, operating on patients every Thursday if not out of town to raise money for the hospital, plan new health centers and so forth. She and her staff are doing wonderful things for so many women (over the years they have helped some 32,000 women). It was a privilege to meet Catherine and the other staffers, and of course the patients, who seemed so brave amidst their suffering, lifted by the knowledge that here they had found an oasis of hope and care. Special thanks to Ruth Kennedy, the hospital liaison who helped arrange my visit and showed me around. It was an experience that touched me deeply and that I will always remember.
1 comment:
So tragic! I'd love to read the interviews when ready. /Ann
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