I was paralyzed

Munira hails from Wolkite, a distant city about 150 kilometers southwest of Addis Ababa. Both of her parents work; her mother prepares food for students at the local university, and her father works as a merchant.

Munira doesn’t like to draw attention to herself. She wears an unassuming black headscarf and her voice barely rises above a whisper. She is self-conscious about the mahogany cane she must use to get around. Initially she was hesitant to talk about herself. Ultimately, she agreed because she feels it is important to spread her story.

Six years ago, at age 11, Munira was playing with her two younger sisters when she fell off her chair, landing hard on her back. In an instant, she was paralyzed below the hip. She felt terrified.  Nine days after her accident her mother took her to meet Dr. Rick. 

A chest X-ray revealed the culprit: her paralysis was a feared complication of tuberculosis of the spine. The infection had eaten away at the vertebrae, leaving her vulnerable to spinal cord damage at the slightest trauma--such as a fall from a chair.

Ordinarily, this would be the end of the story; Munira’s family could not afford treatment, and the tuberculosis would have continued its ruthless spread until it claimed her life. 

But Dr. Rick refused to give up. He began her on a treatment regimen to cure the tuberculosis.  Next, he arranged for her to be placed in traction--enmeshed in a cage of metal rods and screws which were adjusted incrementally in order to help straighten out her spine and pave the way for surgery. Traction is a deeply uncomfortable process; Munira says she was often in pain. She was in traction for 20 hours a day for two months--and then 24 hours a day, around the clock, for three more months.

After five months of traction, she underwent orthopedic surgery--and just like that, after a recovery process, she could walk again.

This day, she had returned to the clinic to get a referral for physiotherapy. Right now, her foot drags slightly when she walks, a remnant of her old disease. She wants to learn to walk without her cane.

Throughout her ordeal, it was Munira’s devotion to her faith that kept her going. She is a devout Muslim, and she gained much solace from the sense of truth and community that prayer grants her; she remains grateful that Dr. Rick treats people of all faiths; otherwise, she would have had no other options.

Munira is now a thriving, studious tenth grader. Her favorite subjects are biology and chemistry, and she hopes to become a doctor. What kind? She smiles. A bone doctor, she says. 

Asked if she has a message for readers of this website, she says, “I want to thank Dr. Rick for doing this for me, but in truth I cannot express my gratitude in words.”

New Look, New Life

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.

A guardian angel sent to me by God

There is one person for everyone that walks into your life and changes everything and that person will forever be a part of you. Dr. Rick Hodes is that kind of person for me. Ever since our first encounter, he has been the biggest supporter of my dreams and the savior of my life. I wouldn’t have come this far if it weren’t for him. Looking back now, I can’t help but think that he was a guardian angel sent to me by God. I owe my life and all my achievements so far to him. 

Of the countless things he did for me, I would say the most significant one was the fact that he never gave up on me when it seemed like my chances of survival were very slim. He then took a chance on me and opened many life-changing opportunities for me. He took me in and raised me as one of his own. He became the family I never had. He changed my fate of dropping out of school and waiting on death bed by saving my life and getting me into a good school in the city. Just like how an electronic device would function very well when it gets an upgrade, I was able to turn my life around completely because of him. He inspired me to be a better version of myself and go all the way in life despite the obstacles I tend to face. The fact that he always seems to find a way to appear at the right time and place whenever I need him made me believe in miracles. Even our first meeting was an extraordinary event. We met while we were crossing the streets on my way back to my hometown after the doctors told me I had no chance of surviving. I truly understand the value of humanity because of him. One of the things I like about myself is the fact that I get more pleasure in helping those in need than helping myself.  I learned this valuable trait from Dr. Hodes. I could go on about the list of things that Dr. Hodes did for me, but I don’t think I will be able to stop. What I will say instead is that Dr. Rick was the strong wheel that got me through the heavy trucks of life and pushed me to become the person I am today. 

I am currently a college freshman at Northeastern State University (Tahlequah, Oklahoma). I am contemplating following in his footsteps. I want to continue his legacy by doing for others what he did for me.

~Zemene

I was also paralyzed

Aliyah is one of ten children (Six sisters and three brothers) who live in the village of Selti, in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia, about 160 kilometers from Addis Ababa.  Due to her spinal deformity she was paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.  Her father brought her to Addis Ababa seeking treatment. At first, they sought treatment at a local hospital but due to her complicated spinal condition they were unable to receive help.  She sought out Dr. Rick Hodes at the JDC Spine and Heart Clinic. After a series of tests and exams Dr. Rick gave her the news that she was a candidate for surgery.

In 2016, accompanied by Lema Lendebo, a member of the JDC Spine and Heart Clinic staff, Aliyah traveled to The FOCOS Hospital in Ghana.  She spent six months in Ghana; undergoing traction to prepare her back for the extensive surgery needed to repair her spine. Her surgery was successful.  Later, she was told that without that surgery her life would have been shortened. Today, she is able to walk and live a normal life.  

On the day Aliyah was at the clinic for a follow-up visit father accompanied her.  He thanked God for giving his daughter this opportunity to live a normal, healthy life.  

Aliyah thanked Dr. Rick and the staff at the clinic.  She wants to become a doctor, just like Dr. Rick, so she can help people who are in the same situation she was in.

From Gojjam to California

My name is Zewudie Alamerew. I was born in a village called Cheba in Gojjam, Ethiopia. I lived with my brothers and sisters in a very small village.  When I was a child I had a back problem. I developed tuberculosis of my spine. Over 13 years ago I went to Addis Ababa with my father. We rented a place in the city for a few nights. The owner of the hotel where we stayed referred us to Mother Teresa’s Mission. At the mission we met Dr. Rick Hodes. Dr. Rick understood my problem. He took photos of my back and got an x-ray. Right then, he started giving me TB treatment. For the first time I got proper TB treatment every day for 9 months.

After a year, I had my big chance – I went to Ghana for surgery. Everything was new to me – it was very hot, the food was different, the language was different. I looked at people and felt like they should speak Amharic, but they did not. In 2006, I had a 12 hour operation by Dr. Boachie. He removed 5 backbones and rebuilt my back. I gained 5 inches. I don’t think any other doctor in the world could do that. I stayed in Addis Ababa, started school in 2007 for the first time. I started learning English. I got a new home, new brothers and sisters as I was staying at Rick’s house. 

Having my surgery improved my life by a lot. I can stand straight, walk long distance, breath properly and live longer. Now I have a new back. I graduated from high school in Ohio and in May, 2019 I graduated from Menlo College in Atherton California with a degree in Business Management-Business Entrepreneurship.  After graduation, I have returned to Ethiopia. In a few years, I am planning to go to Ghana and help with what I can. This has been my all time dream. Dr. Boachie and Dr. Rick - saved my life. Without the help of FOCOS and American Jewish Joint I would not be here where I am now. It is because of Dr. Boachie and Dr. Rick that I have a new life now. 

Thank you.

Zewudie Alamerew