Jessica og Gloria

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Jessica and Gloria are two girls who in 2008 lived in Nkoaranga village at the foot of Mt. Meru, north of Tanzania. When they heard rumours in the village that there was a plastic surgeon at Nkoaranga Hospital in November 2008, they both went to the hospital to hear if there was a chance that the surgeon could do something to alleviate their skin contractions.

Due to old burn injuries, Jessica’s left hand and wrist were contracted and Gloria’s right wrist and elbow were contracted.

Like so many others in the village, Jessica and Gloria came from poor families with no extra financial resources that would allow them to get the necessary surgeries that would increase the mobility in their wrists hand and elbow. Care4Burn decided to sponsor their treatment, carried out by plastic surgeon Einar Eriksen.

          

The following year, in 2009, Dr. Eriksen and Karianne W. Fjære travelled back to Nkoaranga Hospital. This time, over 15 patients approached the hospital to speak to Dr. Eriksen and to hear if there was something he could do to alleviate their disabling contractions. While most of the people who came to the hospital came from the area around Arusha and Mt. Meru, one patient had travelled all the way from Dar es Salaam, over 600 km away. During their stay, Dr. Eriksen operated 5 patients. Care4Burn sponsored several of the surgeries.

On the third day, Karianne W. Fjære was called out of the operating room – someone had come to see her.

Outside stood Jessica and Gloria, both smiling. After hearing that Dr. Eriksen and Karianne W. Fjære had returned to the hospital, they wanted to meet again and to show how they both were able to stretch their hands and arms, one year after the surgeries.

What a joyful reunion. It was incredibly nice to meet the two girls again – and it was very meaningful to see how they both had benefited from last year’s surgeries.

One surgery costs approximately 100 EURO. Jessica and Gloria had one surgery each, both performed by plastic surgeon Einar Eriksen. For approximately 200 EURO, the function in Jessica and Gloria’s hand, wrists and elbow were improved.

Together we can make a difference!

If you have questions or want to hear more about our work and how you can contribute, please feel free to contact us at info@care4burn.org.

Emmanuel

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Care4Burn first met Emmanuel in 2009. Then he was 19 years old and it was obvious how ashamed he was of his appearance. It was difficult for him to keep eye contact and most of the time he looked down and into the ground when he spoke to people.

Emmanuel had contractions on both his cheeks. Due to an old and untreated burn injury, scar tissue had formed between his eyes and mouth on both cheeks, and over time it had contracted. The contraction was greatest on the right cheek. Here, the scar tissue had contracted so much that Emmanuel had difficulty closing his right eye completely.

Emmanuel got burned when he was just 1 year old. He does not remember the accident himself, but he has been told by his family that he fell into the flames face first.

Emmanuel explained how he has a hard time feeling like he is a part of the community. Growing up he was bullied a lot because of his appearance, and at an early age he therefore decided to stop going to school. He spends his days “just hanging out” on the streets, without really having anything to do. Emmanuel wished for a skin transplantation in the hope that it could help him get a job.

Emmanuel’s family could not afford treatment and Care4Burn therefore decided to sponsor his surgery, carried out by plastic surgeon Einar Eriksen. One surgery costs approximately 100 EURO.

Emmanuel’s operation was comprehensive and long-drawn. It is challenging to harmonize skin grafts in the face and the surgery took several hours. Finally, the surgery was completed and Emmanuel’s face was symmetrical for the first time since he was one year old.

Unfortunately, it became apparent after a few days that the transplant did not attach optimally and the skin graft was lost partially at the right eye.

Emmanuel was offered another surgery, with a new skin transplantation at the right eye. However, Emmanuel refused. He did not wish to undergo anaesthesia again. He explained that his experiences when ‘sleeping’ were so unpleasant that he would not repeat this at any price.

Over the next few years, Care4Burn kept in touch with Emmanuel. We were interested to see if there was anything else we could do to help him, that would make him more involved in the local community.

A couple of years later Emmanuel himself came up with a proposal: Could Care4Burn sponsor his driver’s license so that he could start working as a taxi driver?

For the first time in a long time, there was life and light in Emmanuel’s voice – so YES, of course we could.

In 2014, Emmanuel completed his driving lessons and not long after he passed the driving test. Emmanuel’s driver’s license cost approximately 80 EURO.

Today, 4 years later, Emmanuel still works as a taxi driver in Arusha city centre, in northern Tanzania.

Together we can make a difference!

If you have questions or want to hear more about our work and how you can contribute, please feel free to contact us at info@care4burn.org.

Faraja

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Faraja is the first patient with burn injuries that Karianne W. Fjære met and the patient who inspired and gave life to Care4Burn, in the summer of 2008. When Faraja was 6 years old, she suffered from third-degree burn injuries to almost half her body.

As she was playing with her sisters in the family kitchen area her clothes caught fire and in a few moments, Faraja went from being a healthy 6-year-old girl to a girl with third-degree burn injuries on her chest, back and left arm. Without expertise and availability of modern burn care, her burn injuries could have had serious consequences, such as life-threatening infections, disabling contractions, long-term disabilities and even death.

Faraja comes from a poor family. Together with her mother and father, she and her three siblings live in a dirt hut on the outskirts of a small village at the foot of Mt. Meru, outside Arusha in northern Tanzania. Like most parents in the village, both her parents are illiterate and have no permanent work. Thus, the family lives from hand to mouth from what the parents can save together from small jobs in the village.

In November 2008, Faraja was operated on for the first time, where she got a skin transplantation to cover her large wounds. The following year, in November 2009, Faraja got her second operation. This time she underwent a “reconstruction” of her old injuries.

A reconstruction of old injuries was necessary the year after since, despite extensive skin transplantation the year before, Faraja still had a lot of scar tissue around the armpit and elbow. This large amount of scar tissue had resulted in a dysfunctional contraction. The contraction meant that Faraja was not able to stretch her arm completely. Instead, her arm was constantly bent in a 90 degree position, making it less functional. During Faraja’s second operation, the contracted scar tissue at her armpit and elbow was therefore removed and the wound covered with thick ‘new’ skin, harvested from her thighs. The reconstruction resulted in Faraja regaining full mobility in her arm, see pictures before and after surgery here here.

Today, Faraja is 15 years old and has just finished primary school. Her favourite subjects are mathematics and English. Her dream is to work as an accountant when she grows up.

In just a few months, Faraja will start at secondary school, along with 35 other girls, which she is very much looking forward to.

One surgery costs approximately 100 EURO. Faraja has undergone two surgeries, both carried out by plastic surgeon Einar Eriksen.

For approximately 200 EURO Faraja got a new chance in life.

Together we can make a difference!

If you have questions or want to hear more about our work and how you can contribute, please feel free to contact us at info@care4burn.org.