For some children and their families, life begins with a struggle. But MAF in Guinea is privileged to fly children and their mothers to the N’Zao hospital for life-changing surgery.
Story by Joel Conté
“Yaya was born with a cleft palate and a problem with his lower jaw, which needs to be readjusted,” says Diallo Mariama Bobo, a telecommunications engineer.
Chaikou Yaya Diallo has had this issue for two and a half years. But today, he is boarding an MAF flight with his mother.
“We are here today for the trip to the N’Zao hospital, for the surgery of my child,” says Mariama. “We were recommended by the Sacré Coeur team who have been monitoring the health of my child since birth.
“Where would we be today if we had to care for these children only from our own means? This paediatric centre really does a lot for children.”
The Sacré Coeur (Sacred Heart) Paediatric Centre of Excellence is located just outside the city of Conakry. It is managed by the NGO Hope Ignited, offering a variety of health care services for children. Their team referred Yaya to the hospital in N’Zao for access to life-changing surgery.
N’Zao is more than 800 km from Conakry. Mindful of the distance and challenges of the road journey, Mariama expresses her gratitude to MAF, and all the partners involved.
“We thank the staff of the hospital who recommended us to N’Zao and also the staff of MAF, they were up to the task because everything has been very good since we checked in, and we also saw the plane in which we’re able to travel.
“This flight will save us from a great deal of trouble. The road trip was going to affect us in terms of time as well as physically – including our safety – thank you very much,” says Mariama.
Originally from England, Abigail Elisabeth Estelle is a maxillofacial surgeon who operates at N’Zao. She works with a charity called Willing and Able who help children that need surgery to get to a place where there is a surgeon and a suitable facility so they can have life-transforming surgery.
“We’ve transferred patients from Sacré Coeur to the other side of Guinea in N’Zao. These children needed surgery: one for cleft lip, one for hernia and the other for complex enclosure of the jaw joint,” says Abigail.
“I think all their conditions have affected their function and their ability to go to school, their ability to be accepted in their village and their ability to smile and shout.
“So, to be able to provide surgery and restore their function and smile – their ability to be accepted – is massive. It is a grace and a feeling of satisfaction,” she adds.
When patients return to their families and villages, Abigail hopes that that they are truly accepted, and that people will not only see physical transformation, but also joy.
Abigail thinks that the MAF flight is fantastic for the patients.
“It takes a journey that would otherwise by two days by road and very exhausting, and makes it short, safer, quicker, more enjoyable and good for the patients to be able to travel together quickly to their destinations,” she says.
“When they are ready to return home, I ask the patients whether they want to go by car or by plane, and they say, ‘By plane’. It makes a big difference for them.
“Thank you to MAF, thank you to all the support of this programme makes such a big difference to the patient, also to the healthcare workers who are coming in to support the hospital.”
