Field Journal: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Saturday, November 10, 2007 – Patient Selection/Announcements
The video crew arrived early at the screening site. We aren’t the only ones. Many families are already at the hospital, sitting in small groups, standing alone – all waiting patiently for the announcement & posting of the list at noon. The Medical Team Leads arrive and join us, ready to answer any questions that parents may have about why their child had to be left behind due to health and safety reasons.

A volunteer from the Operation Smile office in Ethiopia arrives with the list and color coded cards. Each patient for surgery has their name read off, starting with Monday and progressing through the week. They receive a card with the date of their surgery and instructions for when to arrive at the hospital. There were many happy families of children with cleft lips or cleft palates and arrangements were made to include some adults, too.

The entire medical team had a relaxing day touring the area which was a great chance to continue to get to know each other prior to the intensity of surgery week.

The video crew spent the afternoon with Arifase and her Father, Tolessa. Arifase is a stunningly beautiful girl. Her hair is plaited, and she wears a beautiful blue and white scarf over her head, and a traditional Ethiopian skirt. At the age of 13, Arifase has never been to school. “We told her that she must go to school,” explains her Father, “but she says, I will never go back to school. The kids make fun of me.”

Her family heard the news on the radio that Operation Smile was coming to Ethiopia. “I was so happy,” Arifase’s dad says. “I borrowed the money from my neighbor. It cost me 80 birr to get here – and the bus ride took 7 hours. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.” They are renting a room in Addis for the duration of the screening and the surgery. It’s too costly to try and return home.

Sunday, November 11, 2007 – Set Up at the Hospital
Here in Ethiopia, the team has been alerted that the cargo has not yet arrived. We understand that many people, in the US and Ethiopia, are working hard to assist Operation Smile! We all appreciate the efforts made on behalf of the children – to expedite the delivery and clearing of customs. The team spends the day sightseeing in Addis Ababa. At 5:00pm – set up begins at the hospital and the team is ready for surgery to begin on Monday morning.

The video crew spent the day to the west of Addis Ababa, visiting the home of Solomon. The journey is long, over 250km with the last 70km taking us down a dusty gravel road only to park and walk 20 minutes past the fields his father, Teshome, farms to reach their home. Solomon is able to tell his Mother, who is pregnant and unable to travel, that he has been selected to have surgery.

Solomon helps his father in the fields and attends a near-by school. His dad tells us that he is in the 3rd grade. When he first went to school, he was teased and taunted. He refused at first to go back, but his parents insisted that he return.

“We force him to go to school,” his dad says, “but the kids laugh at him. He’s terrified every day of the other children. I tell him that it’s God’s will – you must go to school.” Whenever Solomon walks through the village or into town, he covers his mouth. Still, children yell out and call him names. Despite his struggles, Solomon is number 10 out of 77 students (he showed us his report card.) His parents insist that he would be number one, if not for the pain and torment he endures daily.

Monday, November 12, 2007 – First Day of Surgery & visit from Bill & Kathy Magee
The Medical Team is up bright and early this morning, ready for their first day of surgery. During the team meeting at breakfast, Bill and Kathy Magee arrive with many special guests. Bill talks to the team and shares some incredible stories of the sites he has visited so far on the World Journey. Soon, the medical team heads off to Black Lion Hospital to begin their day.

Bill and Kathy share several special moments with the families gathered at the hospital. They meet Meti’s family and hear her story first hand of being left behind 4 times. A collection is taken up by the visitors traveling with the Magee’s to help the father buy a cow to replace the one he sold to travel to the mission site.

Upstairs on ward D4 in Black Lion Hospital, Bill meets two orphaned brothers, who arrived too late for screening due to distance and travel problems. The older brother Ibrahim (18), wearing an Ethiopian Airlines eye mask to hide his cleft, his little brother Gewar (5) by his side. The team works quickly to get both boys screened and scheduled for surgery during the week.

Bill practices shaking hands with Ibrahim and explains that while Operation Smile will be able to fix his facial deformity, it is important for him to work on eye contact and self confidence.

All too soon, the Magee’s depart for the Palace where they had the opportunity to meet with the President of Ethiopia before traveling on to Morocco.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007 – Mimi’s Story & Update from the Film CrewToday we spent all day with Mimi and her Grandfather, Munessa.

We met Mimi on Thursday, during screening. Mimi’s hair is plaited in the traditional Ethiopian style. She wears a tan cotton blouse and skirt that hangs off her tiny frame. Clearly, she has borrowed clothing for what was to be one of the biggest days in her life. Her beautiful face is marred by a gaping cleft lip. She smiles shyly – as best she can – as she spends the entire day going through the screening process.

Her grandfather tells us that they have traveled two days by bus to get here. It costs them 45 birr – money they did not have. They had to prepare so quickly for the journey, they borrowed the money. They received a letter from the local health station letting them know that Operation Smile would be in Addis. It was the news she had waited her entire lifetime to hear. Over and over again, they were told that locally, there was nobody to help her. She had to come to Addis.

“I am hoping people can fix this for her. We are hoping that it is God’s will.”

Mimi has both a cleft lip and a cleft palate and can barely speak. She started school for the first time this year – at 9 years old, she is only in the first grade. She tells us that she is learning her ABCs in English - -yet she is barely understandable when the speech therapist struggles to hear her say her vowels and a few simple words.

“Sometimes, people make fun of me,” Mimi whispers. “If it is God’s will, he will let her go to school and be like others,” said her Grandfather. “I’ll be happy to play at school and to have friends.”

The film crew spends the day near Tulu Bolo, Ethiopia, filming Mimi at school and with her Grandfather doing chores at home. She is withdrawn and appears isolated as the school children point and stare. She tries as best she can to keep her mouth hidden behind a colorful scarf. It is wonderful to know that on Thursday, Mimi will have surgery and no longer need to hide behind a scarf.