Marla and her son Dean met Messay for the first time at the clinic in Addis Ababa where Dr. Rick Hodes works. Messay was an orphan who worked as a shoeshine boy. He had no family and was temporarily living on the floor in the basement of a woman’s home, however she was not going to be able to keep him there much longer. Dean interviewed Messay and ask him many questions. He was a kind sweet sweet boy. When Marla asked him what he would like if he could have anything, he looked down at his baggy pants held up with a piece of twine, and said that he wished for a new pair of pants! They bought him some new pants (of course!) and he continued to see Dr. Rick at his clinic. The challenge for Messay was that he would no longer be able to work as a shoeshine boy if he had back surgery because her would no longer be able to bend over, However, Rick made the decision to send him to India for surgery.
Below are the pictures of Messay before and after his surgery. He is a new young man. We will now help him find work and begin his new life.