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An obstetric fistula can often be repaired with just a single operation.
An operation that can take little more than 60 minutes. Sometimes the recovery is very quick, sometimes in more severe cases it takes longer. However in all cases it is life-changing.
“I used to think of committing suicide, now I want to live,” 24 year old Besemu says. She suffered a fistula after five days of obstructed labour. She was carried to a medical centre on the fifth day.
Tragically her baby died. Besemu later presented to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital unable to walk, sit or stand. At the hospital her fistula was successfully repaired and after receiving physiotherapy, Besemu made a full recovery. She is now learning English and working as a child care worker in an orphanage. Her gratitude is now channelled into loving these children who have no home.
Every day, many women like Besemu have their lives turned around. Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia has successfully treated more than 50,000 women and in 2017 alone, more than 1600 fistula operations were carried out by the Hamlin team.
It is allowing thousands of women across Ethiopia to rewrite their story. To escape a life of isolation, suffering and misery and instead, return to their communities to live a rich and full life. It is a ‘miracle’ that is repeated daily at the six Hamlin Fistula hospitals across Ethiopia.
They are miracles that as a supporter you helped make happen this year, thank you.
