Medical Needs - Dr. Rick Hodes

Tesfaye is a young man in his late teens with severe tuberculosis of
the spine. We sent him to Ghana 3 times in our JDC spine program,
working with Dr. Boachie’s FOCOS organization, but he could not be
helped. However, after years of struggle, pain and suffering (read
his story below by Chloe Malle), I am thrilled to tell you that today
Tesfaye arrived safely in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for
spine surgery. My extreme gratitude goes to everyone who helped make
this possible, especially the 3 key players: Gary Segal of Vancouver
who is both the donor and the host - Tesfaye is staying at Gary’s
home, Dr. Marcel Dvorak of Vancouver General Hospital who will operate
on him, and Medtronic Corporation who donated the instrumentation.

Rick

***

Tesfaye was born in the Gojjam region of Ethiopia to farmer parents.
He grew up in a one-room, thatched roof, mud hut, which he shared with
parents, four brothers and one sister. His mother and father farmed
grains, mostly teff and barley.

About nine years ago Tesfaye’s father died, leaving his mother to farm
and care for the five children herself. Several years after his
father’s death Tesfaye decided to come to Addis Ababa with his oldest
brother to seek medical care for his misshapen spine. His back problem
began when he was eight years old, a result of untreated spinal
tuberculosis. Growing up, his family took him to the local healer who
blessed him with curative Holy Water, but the pain and deformity did
not improve. By the time he was a teenager the pain was so acute that
he decided to leave his village and travel to Addis Ababa in hope of
treatment. Tesfaye traveled three days by bus with his brother,
neither of whom spoke any Amharic, the national language and dominant
language in the capital city. Tesfaye and his family are from the Agaw
tribe, a small population in the north of the country that speaks
their own language, known as Agaw.

They arrived at the bus station in the large market area, the Mercato,
and went immediately to Black Lion Hospital, where the hospital staff
told him they could not treat him, promptly sending him and his
brother away. Talking to some street children Tesfaye and his brother
heard that the Alert Leprosy Hospital may be able to help him. They
went eagerly, but were turned away for a second time.

The brothers rented a small room for 1 birr per day, about 0.10 USD
and stayed in the capital hoping for a miracle. One day a woman
stopped them on the street and asked Tesfaye what was wrong with his
back. He told her that he had no idea but that he was in a lot of pain
and was trying to find treatment but no one was helping. She told him
that the Mother Theresa Mission may be able to help him and described
directions to the mission. Tesfaye went to the mission early the next
morning and the nuns admitted him swiftly and without hesitation.

For two months Tesfaye lived at the mission where he received
tuberculosis treatment. After two months he was discharged from the
mission but returned each day for the next six months to complete his
eight-month TB treatment. After leaving the mission Tesfaye shared a
room with his brother who had begun work as a day laborer in order to
stay in Addis with Tesfaye. To contribute to his brother’s earnings
Tesfaye began wearing a board called "souk b'derete," lit a "store
around the neck," filled with various novelty items, such as BIC
pens, Kleenex travel packs, sunglasses and chewing gum. He
peddled—almost literally—his wares around the large market place
earning between 5-10 birr per day, about 0.50-1.00 USD.

Several months later Tesfaye contracted scabies, likely a result of
squalid living conditions, and went to the mission to ask the nuns for
treatment. He was given the proper medication and was on his way out
of the compound when another nun stopped him and asked him if he knew
a Dr. Rick. Tesfaye replied that he did not know any doctors,
especially not a faranje—or white—one. The sister told him to return
the following Saturday to meet Dr. Rick, who, she explained, helped
Ethiopians with bad spines.

Tesfaye came early Saturday morning and waited patiently for his turn
to meet with Dr. Rick, during his usual Saturday morning clinic.

Dr. Rick not only accepted Tesfaye as a spine patient but later
invited him to live in his home and send him to school. In late 2006,
Tesfaye traveled to Ghana with a group of eight other spine patients
to be examined by renowned Ghanian surgeon Dr. Oheneba Boachie. Dr.
Boachie felt that Tesfaye was operable, and asked him to return in 6
months. On return, he was not operated due to lack of a ventilator. On
a third trip, the Ghanian anesthesiologists would not anesthetize
Tesfaye, and surgery was not performed. Dr. Boachie’s FOCOS staff was
highly impressed with Tesfaye’s attitude, and the help he constantly
gave to the other Ethiopian spine patients. Disheartened, he gave up
and resigned himself to the fate of living his life with a back shaped
like a Brontosaurus or Quasimodo.

In the world of Rick’s house, Tesfaye is everyone’s favorite person,
if he were to run for office, it most certainly be a landslide
victory. Tesfaye is kind, patient and helpful. He is always doing his
homework or helping the younger children with theirs. In anticipation
of his trip to Canada Tesfaye has been diligently attending English
class four days a week to supplement his 5th grade curriculum. I asked
Tesfaye what he is most excited and nervous about for his trip. He
answered that he is most nervous about people making fun of his back
and that he is most excited about being with people who show him love.

Last fall I took a social history of each of the children living in
Rick’s house, Tesfaye politely told me, “I do not want to talk about
my history until I know what the ending will be, I still hope thanks
to God, and Dr. Rick, that my back may be healed.” Now, we pray, that
time has come, and so, Tesfaye has shared his story with me. We all
look forward to discovering the end of the story. I know he will live
happily ever after.

Chloe Malle

Please read the article from the Vancouver sun