Sele Amlak is a 2 year old girl who was admitted with a 1 year old burn injury of her left hand and fingers. The scar tissue made her hand terribly deformed. The surgical team was able to bring her hand and fingers back into normal position
Ruth was 10 years old when her lower abdomen, groins and thighs was injured by a burn injury. The resulting scar tissue made it impossible for Ruth to walk normally. 4 years later she was admitted to our burn unit where scar tissues where removed and replaced by skin transplants. The operation was successful and she was able to walk normally again.
Murti, 11 year old boy. He was 2 years old when he received a burn injury to his right wrist. As time went by his wrist was attached to his lower arm due to contracture. Several operations made it possible to bring back his wrist into normal position and detach his fingers which had grown together. His wrist will never be the same, but he is now able to use his right arm again, nine years after the injury.
Ethenesh suffered an extensive burn injury due to kerosine in her kitchen. She spent 9 months in local hospitals where the wounds healed and was replaced by scar tissue. The scar tissue attached her left arm to her upper body and made her groin contract so she couldn´t extend her hip joint. She needed several operations and intensive physiotherapy at our burn unit. She can now move her arm freely and move her hip joint as normal.
Tajudin was 2 years old when boiling water injured his right groin, thigh and kne causing development of a contracture deformity. He had just learned to walk before the injury made him a cripple. At the age of 8 he was admitted to MCM, 600 kilometers from home.The surgical team was able to bring his hip and kne joint back close to normal position.
Selamawit run away from her stepmother after her mother’s death, searching for work in the capital. Her clothes caught fire due to kerosine. She was left at the gate of St. Mother Teresa, a home for the sick and dying.
She caught the attention of four Norwegian students 9 months later, bringing her to the burn unit at MCM where she received proper treatment.
Mrishu was playing soccer barefoot with his friends as he accidentally ran into some burning garbage. The burn injury caused all of his ten toes to bend backwards, ending in a vertical position. This caused a number of things. He was struggling with maintaining balance. He was unable to wear shoes. Other children was bullying him causing him to withdraw from school and social interaction.
7 years later he finally received surgical treatment at the burn unit at MCM. He is now up and running again, wearing shoes!
Dessalenj was asleep when his skin and clothes accidentally was soaked in kerosine. The chemical reaction inflicted severe burn injuries to his face, neck and shoulders. After several months without proper treatment he couldn’t move his head due to the scar tissue. He eventually received proper surgical treatment at the burn unit. He is nothing but a big smile.
Abdisa was four years old as a kerosine lamp fell over him and his clothes caught fire. It created a terrible extensive burn injury, involving his chin, his chest and abdomen and his groins.
Abdisa was a rear case as he was admitted fairly quick after the injury happened. Most patients are admitted months to years after time of injury.
Rahama was playing around the fire inside her cottage as her dress caught fire. Her injury required a 3 months hospital stay and several surgical procedures before she eventually could be discharged.
Abdi is a little boy from a place near the Somali border. He suffered a scalding injury to his left arm due to boiling water. He was critically ill because of malnutrition and pneumonia as he reached our burn center. His wounds was initially cleansed daily until he had gained enough weight to be able to go through surgery. Thankfully, he recovered well.
Yeserash is a 23 year old woman. She has never been able to walk on her two legs as she burnt her right lower extremity when she was only six months old. The injury caused a contracture as her leg grew together with the thigh in a flexed position. She needed to be in our unit for six months. Now she is up walking on both legs! The right knee needed arthrodesis as it was more or less destroyed, but she is smiling and very happy.
Dafar was a sleep when a kerosine lamp fell over and ignited his clothes. His chest and neck suffered a third degree burn and as always scar tissue will create all sorts of problems if not treated properly. In Dafar´s case his lower lip was dragged down to his chest, making him look terrible. Dafar received proper treatment at the age of 16, several years after the time of injury. For the first time in years he is able to close his mouth.
Samira is 5 years old and presented with a three months old flame injury caused by the fireplace inside her hut. Before coming to the burn center she had spent 2 months in a local hospital. Because of lack of proper treatment she was very weak. She needed almost two weeks of nutritional therapy before she was ready to go through scar tissue removal and skin transplantation.
Mimi is a 2 year old girl who, like many others, was injured do to an unprotected fireplace inside her cottage. The local hospital was unable to treat her, so she was transferred to MCM where she first received nutritional therapy and dressing changes before several surgical procedures. Mimi is doing fine.
These to brothers from Somalia had sneaked out during the night in their nomad camp. They walked into some burning cow dung and both of them burnt off all their toes. The youngest one lost some of his fingers. Our foundation managed to move them out of Somalia for treatment in Addis. A number of surgical procedures and 15 months later they where able to walk again!