The Official Website of Dr. Rick Hodes

Check out the trailer for an upcoming documentary about Dr. Hodes and his role in helping a young Ethiopian girl named Zemene:

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We now have thirteen kids in Ghana undergoing spine surgery by Dr. Boachie’s FOCOS team. We are not fully funded, and greatly appreciate contributions – from small gifts to full sponsorships of $18,000 per child. Detailed information is available on each patient.

Click Here for detailed information about each patient, and take a look at their shining faces below! Click to enlarge the images.

Click here to donate. Donations are tax-deductible and 100% of proceeds go towards my work in Ethiopia.

Contact us at EthiopianSpines@gmail.com

Thank you,

Rick Hodes, MD and the JDC-Ethiopia spine team

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Dear Supporters,

We frequently send patients to Ghana and to India for surgery, and need Skyteam Miles (Delta, KLM, Air France) or Star Alliance Miles (United, USAir, Lufthansa, Air Canada) to cover their travel abroad for life-saving surgery.

Feel free to contact us at ethiopianspines@gmail.com!

Thank you,

Dr. Hodes

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Yemiserach is a girl from rural Gojjam who was sent to me by a Peace Corps volunteer posted in rural Gojjam, who tracked me down online. ”Her eye is popping out,” he explained in his first phone call.

Indeed, his description was accurate, and MRI showed that she had a mass behind the eye. A visiting team from Israel biopsied this mass, which showed a lymphangioma. Her vision deteriorated, her pain increased, and eventually, we decided to remove her eye and replace it with a prosthesis.

Recently, working with the help of our partner Eye from Zion in Israel, Yemiserach traveled to Israel with her older sister, a nursing student, and had several surgeries to remove her eye and replace it with an artificial eyeball.

Last week she returned to Ethiopia with a new eye, new outlook, and great desire to return to school as soon she can. After just 1 day in Addis Ababa, she went back to her village, and her sister returned to nursing school. We wish them both bright futures.

Many thanks to Mending Kids of California for funding their travel expenses!

Rick

(Photo and story used with permission)

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The Jewish Student Association at Stanford will be hosting special guest Dr. Rick Hodes on Thursday, 4/5 and Friday, 4/6.  Click to reserve your FREE tickets today.

• April 5th- 7:00-8:30pm in Stanford’s Main Quad Building 300 Room 300
• April 6th- 5:00-6:30pm in the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Auditorium

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Please join us TONIGHT, April 4, 2012 at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver for “Bring Back Hope,” a dinner to honor and support the work of Dr. Rick Hodes. Be sure to visit www.bringbackhope.com, where you can purchase tickets, make a donation, or learn more about sponsoring the event.

For additional information about the event, please email info@bringbackhope.com or call (604) 638-7280. Canadians wishing to donate should email us so that we can show you how to get Canadian tax credit.

Also, be sure to watch this great video of Dr. Hodes that was recently featured on Global BC.

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Don’t miss Dr. Hodes when he comes to visit the Seattle University on April 2nd. He will be speaking at the Pigott Building Auditorium from 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM. For more information, contact Katie Bowler at bowlerk@seattleu.edu or (206) 296-6100.

See RSVP details below.

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Tsion is a 10 year old girl from Jimma, the only child of a woman who was working as a day laborer carrying stone when she came to us in July, 2011. They had nowhere to sleep in the summer rains, so they spent the night sleeping in a chair on the veranda of the university hospital so they could see me the following day.

She had a significant congenital kyphosis. The MRI shows this, with the marked curvature. We got her a passport and sent her to the FOCOS team in Ghana, where she underwent posterior spinal fusion and vertebral column resection.

She returned to Addis Ababa and is sleeping on my living room couch while she heals, and will return to her mom in a few weeks.

Yesterday, Michele and Stan Rosen of Seattle, who sponsored her surgery, met Tsion, who gratefully thanked them for her life-saving surgery. Tsion is in the top 10% of her class, and her goal now is to become a doctor.

Photo and story used with permission

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Habtamu, now 19, stopped into clinic last week to say hi.

The son of municipal fireman, he was in severe congestive heart failure when he first came to us. About 3 years ago, we sent him to India to have mitral valve replacement. He would have died by now.

Sitting in the waiting room, he was studying human anatomy. Habtamu is now a student at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, aspiring to be a health officer (sort of like a PA).

Photo and story reported with permission

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In 2007, Amognesh, a 16 year old girl from rural Gojjam province, came to us with a terrible spine which had been destroyed by tuberculosis.

After testing, we sent her to Ghana for surgery by the FOCOS team. She did great and returned home to her village.

Last week, she came to us for a checkup.

In evaluating her breathing, we measure that she can now breath in over 3 liters of air – her lung capacity has improved 38% since before surgery!

Story and photos used with permission

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On a recent trip to Vancouver to work on A NIGHT TO BRING BACK HOPE, Rick and Rick arranged to meet in the Vancouver Airport as Rick Hansen returned home. Rick Hansen, paralyzed and in a wheelchair since age 15,  has raised over 200 million dollars for spinal cord injury research, and did his “Man-in-Motion Tour” to 34 countries on 4 continents to raise money and awareness of spinal cord problems. Rick Hansen wished Rick Hodes great success, and strongly endorsed Rick’s work.

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Recently, Tiringo returned from Munich, after having several reconstructive surgeries by Dr. Peter Cornelius and his amazing facial surgery team.

After a few days in Addis Ababa, she returned to her village to visit her family, and to bring us another patient she knows of who needs jaw surgery.

Here she is, holding up a photo of herself before surgery!

Click here to see the original post about Tiringo in the airport waiting to leave for Germany back in August.

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Feleke is a 12 year old boy from Arusi, 6 hours south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He lives in a mud house without electricity. He is the youngest of 8 sibs. His parents are farmers. They are very devoted to their Ethiopian Orthodox Christian faith.

Feleke ranks #1 out of 70 students. He loves to be challenged. English is his favorite subject because “it’s hard for me.” When not in school, Feleke enjoys helping around the house. All agree that he’s a great kid – friendly, smiling, upbeat, and always wanting to learn.

Feleke’s parents noticed that he was sick at age 5. He had dental pain and received injections at a nearby clinic. When he was 7, his dad saw swelling in Feleke’s neck, and took him back to a clinic. Doctors could not identify the problem, thus Feleke remained untreated.

When he was 11, his parents noticed that his neck was growing larger and larger. They were worried because Feleke was looking worse and worse, and his classmates were making fun of the way his neck looked. He would come home from school and cry.

His father then brought him to Addis Ababa’s Black Lion University Hospital. They did 2 biopsies – 1 showed a malignant tumor, the other did not. The doctors said Feleke needed chemotherapy. His dad sold all of the family’s cattle to pay for the treatment. This is like cutting off one’s arm.

He had several cycles of a 4-drug regimen. After his 28,000 birr ran out – nearly $2,000 at the time, treatment was halted early. Visiting doctors made promises of treating him, but he never completed full chemotherapy. Nine months ago, someone at Black Lion told Feleke’s family about Dr. Rick. They went to the Catholic Mission and Dr. Rick took over his care. Dr. Rick ordered another biopsy and sent it to the University of Rochester for immunologic stains to better understand Feleke’s condition. They confirmed Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which appears localized to 1 side of his neck.

Feleke’s parents only dream about him becoming healthy. They feel ashamed that they do not have the resources or money to save his life. Feleke hopes that one day he will grow up to become a teacher, because: “being a teacher makes me happy.”

Now here’s where the luck of visitors comes in: Dr. Jeff Forman, a Detroit radiation oncologist, recently visited Addis Ababa with the Sherman Leadership Mission of the Detroit Jewish Federation. Rick introduced him to Feleke. After examining him and studying his records, Dr. Jeff agreed to provide free radiation therapy. This is a fantastic opportunity for Feleke – he has a very good chance of a normal life afterwards.

Feleke needs a flight to Detroit, housing for 4 or 5 weeks, and local transport to his 15 sessions of radiation therapy. If you or someone you know wishes to provide support for this extraordinary boy, please contact Dr. Hodes at ethiopianspines@gmail.com.

Photo and history used with permission

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Very sad to say, great friend and supporter Noel Cunningham passed away this week. Noel was a one-man engine of benevolence without borders that reached across languages, race, and oceans in order to help the most needy. We will miss him greatly.

Last year, Noel sponsored an event called “A Dinner of Unconditional Love” to support my work in Ethiopia.

Read more about Noel Cunningham in the Denver Post: http://ow.ly/7ULym

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BREAKING NEWS: Right now we have 21 kids in Ghana undergoing spine surgery by Dr. Boachie’s FOCOS team. We are not fully funded, and greatly appreciate contributions – from small gifts to full sponsorships of $18K per child. Detailed information is available on each patient.

Click Here for detailed information about each patient, and take a look at their shining faces below! Click to enlarge the images.

Click here to donate. Donations are tax-deductible and 100% of proceeds go towards my work in Ethiopia.

Thank you for the support,

Dr. Rick Hodes

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13 patients and 1 staff member successfully left for Ghana tonight. Surgeries start next week.

Rick

Beruk (front, middle) had a long day.

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“When the families showed up it was a truly great celebration with many tears and smiles.”

The remaining 4 patients are soon to return as well.

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BREAKING NEWS: Next week 11 kids are leaving for Cochin, SW India for heart surgery by Dr. Krishna Kumar’s team. We still really need contributions, ranging from small gifts to full sponsorships of about $7,500 per patient. The urgency of this is shown by the fact that when we called patients to inform them they could go abroad, 2 had died since we last saw them. Please give our group a chance for a normal life.

Click here for detailed information about each patient, and take a look at their shining faces below! Click to enlarge the images.

Click here to donate. Donations are tax-deductible and 100% of proceeds go towards my work in Ethiopia.

Thank you for the support,

Dr. Rick Hodes

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Extra special thanks to Randi Rosen and David Bloomberg, who got married in California recently. Instead of wedding gifts, they requested that guests send donations to support my work!

What a great idea!

Many thanks, and best wishes for a wonderful life together.

- Dr. Rick Hodes

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Dr. Hodes recently caught up with Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) to film a segment on his work in Ethiopia. Pictures of Dr. Hodes in the CBN studio below:

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Warning: This article contains graphic images.

Latest news: Abebech and Tiringo (pictured below) left for Munich, Germany on Monday night (8/22) to be operated on by Dr. Peter Cornelius and his amazing team of facial surgeons. Because of the severity of their deformity, we dressed them in Moslem garb for their flights. They are now undergoing evaluation. Most likely they both have a tumor known as ameloblastoma. For unknown reasons, it’s fairly common in Ethiopia. The CT scan shows the computer reconstruction of the tumor.

Now here’s the great part: Tsehai, my previous jaw patient, is in Germany right now undergoing more corrective surgery. She speaks a language called Kafigna. My patient here, Abebech (with the tumor on her left side of face) speaks only Kafigna. So Tsehai’s presence is vital for Abebech’s surgery, since Tsehai is the only person who can translate for her. Abebech was previously accepted for surgery in St. Louis, but we could not send her because we could not find a Kafigna speaker in St. Louis.

We greatly appreciate the donations from the people of Munich to help these patients, and the amazing surgical skills of Dr. Peter Cornelius and his staff at Ludwig Maximillian University.

Both patients have given permission for their photos and stories to be used.

Thanks,

Dr. Rick Hodes

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Desta is a 16 year old girl from East Ethiopia who had poorly-treated Hodgkin’s Disease when she came to me in June, 2010. I treated her with 7 cycles of ABVD and she had a great response. Recently she came to see me. She is happily back in school, feeling great, and looking super!

- Dr. Rick Hodes

Photos used with permission.

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Recently I met President Girma Wolde-Giorgis, President of Ethiopia, with a delegation of Texas medical students. I told him about my work here and gave him photos of my spine patients.

He showed great appreciation of my work.

- Dr. Hodes

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Hello Supporters,

I need a laptop-sized portable device to test pulmonary function tests. Please let me know if anyone has one for donation!

- Dr. Hodes

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I am looking for neuroradiologists to help me interpret occasional MRIs and CAT scans. If you are qualified, please contact me directly at ethiopianspines@gmail.com. Please forward this message along to doctor friends and colleagues.

Thanks!

Dr. Rick Hodes

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Tonight these 4 girls, accompanied by 1 mom who did an amazing job in rehabilitating her daughter and our nurse, arrived back in Addis Ababa safely. They were tearfully met by at least 20 relatives. I will examine them in the coming days.

They are ordered to spend tomorrow at home with their families eating injera, the national dish here.

Many thanks to all who made this possible,

Rick

(Photos used with permission)

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Last month, Rabbi David Ellenson, Ph.D., President of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), awarded the 2011 Dr. Bernard Heller Prize to Dr. Rick Hodes.

Rabbi Ellenson said, “Dr. Rick Hodes is an American physician whose life and work embody the Talmudic teaching that ‘saving one life is like saving an entire world.’

Read More

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Prudence returned to Telluride this year, 1 year after Rick met her there. Four months ago, she had spine surgery at Children’s Hospital of Denver, followed by hip surgery, to protect her posture and lungs. Prudence was born with a condition called arthrogryposis, and cannot walk or use her arms. Rick contacted his friend and colleague, Dr. Steve Berman, professor of pediatrics at University of Colorado, who arranged this free care. She has had a difficult and painful course of rehabilitation, but managed to get to MountainFilm in Telluride again, and sing in front of several thousand people. She was clearly thrilled to be back performing.

Prudence won an award with a $1000 prize for exemplifying “the spirit of the festival,” and funds were collected so that she could have a handicapped-accessible home when she returns to Zimbabwe.

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On May 19, Dr. Hodes accepted the Christopher Award for the documentary film “Making the Crooked Straight” (Susan Cohn Rockefeller, 2010) on behalf of Sheila Nevins, president of HBO Documentaries. This is the 62nd year that the organization has given awards to media that “affirm the highest values of the human spirit.” Pictures below.

The Christophers is a 65 year old Catholic organization which reaches out to all people with the message:

You have a God-given mission. You are an irreplaceable child of God — with a job for you alone. A healthy sense of self-worth can help you know and fulfill your mission in life. You can make a difference. One good deed may seem insignificant, but may be all that’s needed to overcome some evil. All who work with God change things for the better. Constructive action works miracles. Emphasize what can be done, rather than what cannot. Complaining wastes time and energy. Things improve when more people build up and fewer tear down. With God’s help, everything is possible.

Making the Crooked Straight is available for purchase on Amazon, and is on HBO “on demand” under Short Films.

Also take a look at www.christophers.org

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Dr. Hodes recently had the privilege of speaking at the commencement for UC Davis School of Medicine Class of 2011. (Skip to 1:22 in the video below to hear a snippet of his speech!) As the video highlights, Dr. Hodes stressed the importance of developing a reciprocal relationship with patients and the impact doctors can have on their patients’ lives:

“Listen to your patients. Give them time to express themselves. Not only what they’re trying to tell you, but what they tell you without trying. Use your third ear. Make them feel like their doctor really cares. Remind yourself everyday that this is a privilege. You have a chance to touch people’s souls, and in some way, heal the world.”

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Check out this great update about Prudence from the Mountainfilm blog. It includes a wonderful thank you letter that Rick sent to Mountainfilm last year.

For those who do not know the story, Prudence is an extremely inspirational young woman from Zimbabwe with the voice of an angel. Though raised with a severe deformity that left her wheelchair bound from a young age, Prudence has overcome adversity and become a sort of international pop star. She is the focus of the Academy Award winning film Music By Prudence, and has since received lots of attention around the world for her unique talents and interesting circumstances. Dr. Hodes coordinated spine surgery for her in January 2011 and she is doing very well.

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Dr. Rick Hodes and Dr. Paul Farmer

Dr. Paul Farmer is the director of Partners in Health, a human rights organization providing affordable health care solutions for impoverished people around the world. These are two shining examples of men truly dedicated to serving those in need!

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CBS recently featured a segment on Dr. Rick Hodes, focused on his work with children in Ethiopia. He was joined by film director Susan Cohn Rockefeller to discuss her HBO documentary about Dr. Hodes’ work called “Making the Crooked Straight.” Click the image below to watch the segment.

Click to watch the segment.

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Yesterday the kids in my home were helping, writing thank you cards to
everyone who went to the Denver dinner (“Dinner for Unconditional Love“).

Daguma, seated in the gray chair with shirt on in the top photo took
off his shirt to show off his new back for the 2nd photo.

3 of the kids in the photo have undergone successful spine surgery in Ghana.

- Dr. Rick Hodes

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Eight kids (plus 1 mom) back from Ghana last night! All smiles. Stay tuned for more info.

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These 8 children just returned from Ghana where they received corrective spine surgery. Here they are at their fist post-op visit to me. Photos used with permission.

- Dr. Rick

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Yesterday, we sent these three girls to Ghana by plane, along with a nurse and a mom. Betsalot, Betelhem, and Biftu (left to right) are all returning to Ghana to continue spine treatment. Betsalot and Biftu are going for their 3rd growing rod procedure and it’s Betehlem’s 4th!

- Dr. Rick

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Thank you Lou Tauber, age 13! Lou is a 7th grade student in San Diego who  heard about my work in Ethiopia, and decided to raise money for the cause as a Bar Mitzvah project*. He spoke with people, showed the HBO film Making the Crooked Straight, and collected donations. As a result, he was able to fund the spine surgery of 11-year-old Natnael, a boy living in an orphanage in Addis Ababa.

Natnael had been born with several malformed vertebrae, and his back was worsening as he got older. With Lou’s support, Natnael had successful surgery in Ghana in 2010!

This week Lou and his dad came to visit Ethiopia, and Lou met Natnael in person. Natnael expressed deep thanks to Lou for his efforts. See the photo below.

After all of that, when he was about to leave Ethiopia, Lou took off his sneakers and asked me to give them to a needy person. Take a look at this photo of Lou standing in the Sheraton Hotel while changing into other shoes.

Lou encourages other kids to do similar projects to help kids in Ethiopia. By spreading the word and making a concerted effort to raise funds, Lou was able to make an enormous impact on another kid’s life.

Thanks again,

Dr. Hodes

* A “Bar Mitzvah” (or “Bat Mitzvah” for girls) is a coming-of-age ceremony in the Jewish tradition. At the age of 13, young boys and girls meet certain milestones to confirm their transition into adulthood in the eyes of the community. Commonly, the ceremony is preceded by a “Mitzvah Project,” during which the young boy or girl completes a community service project.

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Congratulations to Dr. Rick Hodes and all of those that contributed to “Making the Crooked Straight,” an HBO documentary about Dr. Hodes’ work in Ethiopia. The short film will be honored in April at the 62nd Annual Christopher Awards.

According to the official website (www.christophers.org):

First presented in 1949, the Christopher Awards were established by Christopher founder Father James Keller to salute media that “affirm the highest values of the human spirit.” Their goal is to encourage men, women and children to pursue excellence in creative arenas that have the potential to influence a mass audience positively. Award winners encourage audiences to see the better side of human nature and motivate artists and the general public to use their best instincts on behalf of others.

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In December, we posted an article about a fund raising effort by the Petoskey High School Student Council (see original article). The group of young leaders are looking to raise $5,000 to support Dr. Hodes’ work Ethiopia. The project is called “Dig Deep for Change,” and 100% of proceeds will go towards improving access to clean water in rural Ethiopia.

UPDATE: To date, the students have raised $4,130 nearly meeting their $5,000 goal! Keep up the great work, guys!

Petoskey High School Student Council supports Dr. Hodes!

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BREAKING NEWS – Right now 30 kids in Ghana undergoing spine surgery by Dr. Boachie’s FOCOS team. We’re not fully funded, and greatly appreciate contributions – from small gifts to full sponsorships of $13K per child.

Click here for detailed information about each patient, and take a look at their shining faces below! Click to enlarge the images.

Click here to donate. Donations are tax-deductible and 100% of proceeds go towards my work in Ethiopia.

Thank you for the support,

Dr. Rick Hodes

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Another 15 kids are headed to Ghana for spine surgery, along with one mom and two nurses. That makes 30 total of our patients arriving in Ghana this month for surgery by Dr. Boachie’s FOCOS team. Stay tuned for updates.

Please consider supporting these courageous children! Dr. Boachie and his team perform the surgery free of charge, but we must pay airfare, lodging, rehab, etc. We will need to raise around $100,000 total. Every dollar counts!

Many thanks!

Dr. Hodes

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A new group of patients will be heading to Ghana for spine surgery in the near future. Half of them left yesterday morning and are now in Accra, Ghana being evaluated, and the other half will leave in the next few days.

They phoned me today, and all is well.

Photos used with permission.

- Dr. Hodes

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Last month we posted an article about an honorary degree I was awarded from Regis University. (Click here to read full article.) Here is a picture of me accepting the award:

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Prudence is a severely handicapped young woman from Zimbabwe in Southern Africa who has a condition called arthrogryposis. After meeting her in Telluride, I arranged for her to have spine surgery in Ghana. Recently, we moved her spine surgery to Denver.

Last week, she underwent successful spine surgery to straighten her spine. She is healing well.

Read more on the Mountain Film Festival blog.

Read more from the Telluride Daily Planet.

- Dr. Rick Hodes

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Breaking News: We are aiming to send 20-30 patients to Ghana for spine surgery within 1 month. Please consider helping us with funding. All donations are welcome and appreciated, and literally any amount helps! Fully sponsor a patient for $13,000.

Your contribution directly affects the lives of these children. You’ve seen the success stories — we’ve proven time and time again that it can be done. Together we can save these children’s lives and give them the greatest gift of all: a future! Stay tuned for pictures and bios of the children we are looking to help.

Thank you,

Dr. Hodes

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Dr. Dollar and Mesfin

Once an ill young boy on the verge of death in Ethiopia, Mesfin Yana is now healthy and on the cusp of graduating from Georgia State University as a respiratory therapist. Dr. Hodes came across Mesfin in 2001 and quickly identified his condition as rheumatic fever, a very serious heart condition that required immediate surgery. Mesfin was flown to the US for surgery with the help of Dr. Allen Dollar and the nonprofit organization Children’s Cross Connections International. Dr. Dollar would go on to adopt Mesfin and raise him in Atlanta.

Read more about Mesfin’s story in GSU Magazine.

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On January 13, 2011, Dr. Rick Hodes was presented with an honorary degree from Regis University. At the Dinner of Unconditional Love, the president of Regis University, Father Michael Sheeran, S.J., presented the Doctor of Humanitarian Medicine, Honoris Causa to Dr. Hodes for leading a life of distinguished service and professional achievement, which includes his work in Ethiopia for the past 28 years.

The award is quite an honor. Previous winners have been:

• Lech Walesa
• Elie Wiesel
• Oscar Arias Sanchez
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
• His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet

Click to read more on the Regis University website.

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Last week was “The Dinner of Unconditional Love,” a large fund-raising dinner to support the work of Dr. Rick Hodes. The event was a HUGE success! Over 950 attended the dinner, which raised over $500,000 for Dr. Hodes’ patients in Ethiopia! For more details about the dinner, read “A Dinner of Unconditional Love,” a recent article from the Denver Post.

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Attention: This article contains graphic images.

As part of my JDC work at the Catholic Mission here, Tsehai came to us early this year. She  is a 21 year old from Southern Ethiopia who had an enormous jaw tumor the size of a bowling ball, (an ameloblastoma), growing for several years. In August, I brought her to Munich for surgical treatment. She had a new jaw constructed from her fibula (lower leg), and subsequent plastic surgery. She returned to us this week, and will return back to Germany in April for more plastic surgery. See before-and-after pictures below.

We have joked that she now has a new name: We’ve dubbed her “Addis Hiwot,” (actually a typical girl’s name here), which means “New life.”

We are all extremely grateful for the generosity of the people of Munich who funded her surgery after an article in the Munich newspaper, for Dr. Peter Cornelius and his amazing surgical team at Ludwig Maximilian University, and the help of the Bavarian Dental Association. Peter gets my nomination for Nobel Prize for facial surgery. Hildegard Cornelius befriended Tsehai, and helped her transition into a new culture, language, and food and played a key role in her success.

Tsehai is now looking forward to returning to school as soon as she can.

Photos and story used with permission of Tsehai.

Sincerely,

Rick Hodes, MD, MACP
Addis Ababa

Click to enlarge.

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