Facing Africa
Gompels continued support of local charity Facing Africa, can be seen in action on Channel 5 on 15th and 22nd February 2018 with two documentaries following the amazing reconstruction surgery of facial Noma sufferers Zinash and Hulu.
"Critical Surgery - Saving Lives"
15th Feb at 10 pm - Zinash's story
22nd Feb at 10 pm - Hulu's story
Facing Africa have been funding and organising bi-annual medical trips to Ethiopia since 2009. Each year 20 volunteer medics from the UK travel to Ethiopia to perform lifesaving reconstructive facial surgery on patients suffering as a result of the disease - Noma. Gompels have been donating essential medical and surgical items for the medics to take with them, for several years:
- Emergency Blankets
- Alcohol Hand gel sanitizer
- Surface wipes
- Powder free vinyl gloves
- Sharps bins
- Bandages
During each two-week mission the medics perform on average 35-45 facial reconstructions, as well as encouraging local doctors, surgeons and nurses to attend lectures and presentations that teach them new and better procedures and techniques. Facing Africa also donates surgical instruments, consumables and disposables to Ethiopian hospitals at the end of each mission.
In Programme One we meet twenty-two-year-old Zinash Ali who comes from the north of Ethiopia. She has a tumour on her face that’s been growing for over six years. It weighs over 5 kilos and has now destroyed her lower jaw, and will kill her if not treated immediately. When the surgeons arrive in the capital city Addis Ababa they rush to her bedside. She’s already been admitted to hospital as her tumour has ruptured and started to bleed. The UK team are her only hope - but this is one of the most complex operations they’ve ever undertaken. Can the team save Zinash?
Programme two follows Hulu Sintayehu, who is twenty. She lives in the poorest region of Addis Ababa and has a tumour growing into the side of her neck – deep into her blood vessels presenting the team with a highly complicated operation. This type of tumour the surgeons have not seen before.
Oral and Maxillofacial Consultant – Graham Merrick says: "Operating in Addis is a bit like going into a battlefield. You only have a certain amount of medical equipment. We bring everything over with us from the UK. And if you haven't got exactly what you want you have to think outside the box. We’ve brought one metal jaw replacement for Hulu - if it doesn't work we're not sure what we're going to do".
Gompels are proud to be supporting this incredible charity, and we invite you to watch Facing Africa in action on Channel 5:
"Critical Surgery - Saving Lives"
15th Feb at 10 pm - Zinash's story.
Some scenes from episode one.
22nd Feb at 10 pm - Hulu's story
Some scenes from episode two.
