UAE Hospital in the News
Dubai Media ran a story about the CURE Oasis Hospital.
The story starts at the 15:09 minute mark. Go here to watch it.
Archive for March, 2010
Presents and Pennies
Since CURE is all about healing kids in the developing world, it is pretty cool when we hear stories about kids here in the U.S. with a heart for their peers overseas.
Three 8-year-old boys in Mass. gave up their birthday presents (but hopefully not their birthday cake!) and instead raised money for CURE’s work in Haiti. At a Pa. church, a group of kids collected almost 85,000 pennies over several months to donate to CURE.
You can read their stories here and here.
Everyone enjoy your weekend. And if you have your own CURE fundraiser to share with us, please feel free to send us an email here.
Brandy’s Story
It all started with a simple phone call.
Fabiola had started the day with a feeling of complete hopelessness.
Her 2-year-old son, Brandy, was suffering from intense pain that never went away. Her precious child was on the floor, crying, his knees twisted backwards, a condition known as bilateral congenital knee dislocation.
Loma Linda University Post
Our friends at Loma Linda University, one of our partners in Haiti, posted a very nice entry about us on their Haiti blog. You can read it below. We value our partnership with Loma Linda and the Adventist hospital in Port-au-Prince and laud the tremendous work they are doing.
CURE International – Orthopedic Excellence
The quality of the reconstructive surgical program we have today is a direct result of the collaboration with our partner CURE International.
CURE is a Christian organization that operates nearly a dozen teaching hospitals in developing nations around the world with a focus on surgical treatments for children with disabilities and deformities. Their experience in operating hospitals in the developing world and providing top quality care in challenging environments has been invaluable in our earthquake relief efforts.
CURE has provided world renowned experts in reconstructive surgery to serve the needs of earthquake victims. We have developed a reputation in the country of Haiti as a tertiary referral center for a variety of complex orthopedic cases. CURE’s Haiti Medical Director Dr. Scott Nelson is also a Loma Linda University School of Medicine clinical faculty and alum.
CURE has had an orthopedic program in Haiti for a number of years prior to January’s earthquake. The existence of this program pre-quake benefited us greatly by providing in-country knowledge, experience, and resources. CURE has provided invaluable logistical and supply resources such as:
* In-country logistics coordinator (Mr. Phil Hudson)
* Air and ground transportation
* Shelving units
* Orthopedic surgical equipment
* Surgical nursing staff from their Dominican hospital
* Multiple international volunteer teams
* Volunteer coordination (Erin, Heather, Robbie)
THANK YOU CURE INTERNATIONAL for all of your help here at the Hopital Adventiste!
Operation: CURE
Messiah College students raced around campus Saturday, March 6th, but there was a method to their madness. They were participating in Operation: CURE. In collaboration with CURE, Messiah’s Public Relations Campaign team and the Public Relations Student Society organized the Operation: CURE event to raise money to aide in funding children’s surgeries.
Ten teams of two, unaware of what lay ahead of them, dashed from task to task, competing in challenges likes dizzy bat soccer goals, African dances and ice cream taste tests. Each challenge was related to the work that CURE does in clubfoot, hydrocephalus and cleft palate surgeries. Contestants ran neck-in-neck to the final challenge where they had to skillfully play in a life size “operation” board game.
After the race, all of the participants and volunteers danced to African drum beats. Lauren Schick, a member of the planning team said, “This part of the night really made CURE’s work come alive to me because I realized the joy and freedom of movement and how surgeries to heal clubfoot can truly transform bodies physically, mentally, socially and spiritually.”
CURE Haiti Update
Here is an update on CURE International’s relief efforts in Haiti.
Over the last couple of weeks, CURE International has transitioned its work from the Haitian Community Hospital to the Hôpital Adventiste d’Haiti (HAH). Below is a map of the hospital’s location in Port-au-Prince.
View Larger Map
Like Haitian Community Hospital, CURE International has worked closely with this hospital since the first days after the earthquake. We are most grateful for the partnership we’ve had with both of these facilities.
A CURE team from the Madison, Wis., area is now on the ground serving through this week, with others to follow through March. Dr. Scott Nelson continues in his role as the leader of CURE’s efforts in Haiti.
At HAH, there are five to ten surgeries being done per day and about 175 patients currently in the hospital. Although the demand for surgeries had decreased, there are still many Haitians in need of follow up care. The hospital has become one of the best run, staffed and equipped trauma facilities in the country.
CURE is also ensuring the spiritual needs of its Haitian patients are being met.
Pastor Samuel Reyes, CURE Dominican Republic’s spiritual director, recently completed his second trip to Haiti and is working with Haitian pastors to provide spiritual counseling to patients.
In early February, Dale Brantner, a senior vice president with CURE International, and his son, Jordan, spent a week in Haiti with a small team ministering to patients.
CURE SVP Dale Brantner (second from right) and his son, Jordan (fourth from right), with the rest of their team
You may remember the story of Jose, one of the patients treated at the Haitian Community Hospital. Dale reports Jose is now running around and getting back to his normal life!
Despite the many struggles, there are stories like these that continue to inspire us.
Please check back for more updates in the coming weeks.
Addis Ababa and the Surrounding Areas…
Stiv Twig, our roving communications intern in Africa, posted this update from his time in Ethiopia.
Hello all. I’m now in Zambia, but wanted to give you an update of my travels through Ethiopia.
I spent three weeks in Ethiopia (based in Addis Ababa) and had the joy of getting to know many wonderful new people. The staff at the CURE hospital is really friendly and cares deeply about serving.
I had the great pleasure of doing follow-ups with some patients out in the rural areas. I went on a trip with Pastor Mesfin, the spiritual director at the CURE Ethiopia hospital, to visit a young girl named Keneni. She had bilateral clubfoot, and after some operations and bracing, she is now walking. Her mother told us a story of how her father left, her friends made fun of her, and she did not like to leave the house for fear of humiliation.
She lived this way for many years, until she encountered CURE International and the work they are able to do. She and her mother also invited Christ into their lives while visiting at the CURE hospital, and they thank God and CURE for the excellent work done.
Keneni
Just a few days later, I had the joy of meeting Zenebu, a charming and joyful little girl with an incredible story. She was playing at a friend’s house one day, when a domestic dispute turned violent, and she was caught in the blast of a bomb that was thrown into her friend’s house. Her left foot was severely mutilated and fused up against her shin.
When she came to CURE they were not sure of what to expect or how much could be done to help her, but the doctors admitted her, and her brother stayed with her throughout the time at the hospital. The good news is that after a few surgeries, skin grafting and physical therapy, Zenebu is doing extremely well. When I visited her in Gonder in the mid-northwest of Ethiopia, she was running and jumping around with her friends.
Mesfin and I watched in delight as she played the Ethiopian version of “Duck-Duck-Goose” with her friends and then had a race up the hill in her neighborhood. Zenebu came in third place out of at least 15 children!
Zenebu
God is good.
Stiv
Look for more updates from Stiv in the coming weeks.
CURE Kabul Celebrates International Women’s Day
In recognition of International Women’s Day on March 8, CURE Kabul held a festive event to honor its female employees. In attendance were close to 100 women (and even a few 
men!) for a special hour of inspiring talks, gifts and an overall celebration of “girl power.”
Here are a few interesting facts about CURE Kabul. Of its 310 employees, 107 of these are women. It has the only OB/GYN training program for female physicians in Afghanistan. Women also hold key leadership positions at both the CURE International hospital and the medical center.
CURE Kabul is empowering women to take an active role in bringing positive change to Afghanistan. Let’s hear it for “girl power!”
The Walk of Love
We’d like to share an updated story with you.
Late last year, Sam Baguma, CURE’s regional director of development for Africa, told us about an upcoming event in Nairobi, Kenya, called The Walk of Love that would raise awareness about the plight of children with physical disabilities.
The walk took place on February 27, 2010, and was a resounding success! Nearly 400 people filled the Ngong Road Forest in Kenya ready to walk to celebrate and support children with disabilities. Participants ranged from school students, the Nigerian and Ugandan High Commissioners, Dr. Chijoke Wilcox Wigwe and Mrs. Angelina Wapakhabulo, and musical artist Muthoni Ndonga. The participants raised more than $88,000 for the CURE Kenya hospital.
To learn more and see pictures of the event, go here.
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