Læsetid: 4 min.

Hjulben: Justine fra Senegal fik hjælp

I Senegal venter børn som Justine på din hjælp!

I Senegal venter hundredvis af børn som Justine på en operation de kommende måneder.

Kommer Justine nogensinde til at gå eller lege normalt?

Justine, ti år gammel. Født med knogler, der ikke voksede rigtigt. Hun kunne næsten ikke gå. At lege med de andre børn var helt umuligt. De grinede bare ad hende.

Ved du, hvad det værste var? Justine ville så gerne løbe rundt, spille fodbold og klatre i træer. Lege og bevæge sig. Men hun kunne ikke følge med de andre børn!

“Kommer jeg nogensinde til at gå og lege normalt?” spurgte Justine sine forældre ti gange om dagen. De reagerede ved at stryge hende over håret, mens de fortvivlede trak på skuldrene. De havde kun en lille fortjeneste fra et landbrug. Hvordan skulle de kunne betale for en operation?

Flere centimeter højere og fuld af selvtillid

Men en ortopædisk operation behøver ikke at være særlig dyr. Omkostningerne i Afrika ligger på et helt andet niveau end her i Danmark. For kun 3.450 kroner kan en kirurg på hospitalsskibet Africa Mercy operere en pige som Justine, så hun kan gå!

Det var præcis, hvad der skete for Justine! Takket være gavmilde donationer kunne de frivillige kirurger, sygeplejersker og fysioterapeuter på Africa Mercy behandle lille Justine. Hun måtte bæres ombord, men kunne forlade skibet på to raske ben. I dag kan hun løbe, hoppe og spille fodbold. Hun kan alt det, hun havde drømt om. Flere centimeter højere og fuld af selvtillid.

Program orthopaedic

Cameroon

Ortopædi

DEL

Marie-Madeleine : histoire de nos patients H2

Marie-Madeleine est une battante qui ira sûrement loin dans la vie. Depuis toute petite, elle fait preuve d’une détermination hors norme puisqu’elle refuse que son handicap soit un frein dans son parcours scolaire en Afrique et dans sa vie professionnelle.

At 13, Marie-Madeleine has a lot going for her. Not only does she believe in the importance of a good education to achieve her dreams, but she is able to put aside her disability to get ahead in life.

Congenital malformation H3

Since she was a child, her right leg has had an abnormality that has not gone unnoticed. Due to an abnormal muscle contracture, her knee bends in the wrong direction. She develops a very peculiar gait that attracts everyone’s attention, but does not stop her in her tracks.

Against all odds, Marie-Madeleine’s childhood went well and she developed a cheerful personality. She loves going to school and walks to school every day. Despite her difference, the other children accept her and she makes many friends.

However, her family fears that the obstacles are becoming too great for her to reach her full potential. And there is not enough money for any kind of treatment! Adama, her grandmother, confirms: “As we did not have the money to hope for medical help, we waited for a miracle

Hospital Ship Intervention in Africa H3

The long-awaited miracle came true last summer. Our hospital ship Africa Mercy docked a hundred kilometres from his village, offering orthopedic surgeries entirely free of charge thanks to your donations. What more could they hope for? Adama accompanies her granddaughter to the selection of patients and gets a positive answer: Marie-Madeleine is accepted for an operation in November! From then on, the young girl enjoyed imagining what her new life would be like with two straight legs.

After 8 weeks of patience with her leg immobilised in a plaster cast, a new and crucial phase began. With her crutches removed and a large splint fitted, Marie-Madeleine can experience her first feelings of freedom and lightness. But there was no question of rushing things, because the operation was not enough to get her back on her feet. For almost twelve years, the muscles in her leg have not functioned normally, and it is essential that she strengthens her muscles so that her leg can support the weight of her teenage body.

Follow-up therapy by our volunteers H3

Surrounded by our team of volunteer physiotherapists, she is entering the final stretch of her recovery. For three months, her visits to the big tent on the quay – where the rehabilitation of our patients takes place – will gradually lead her on the right path.

Last February, a final appointment with our physiotherapists based in Africa confirmed that her leg was in good shape and that she could return home. Marie-Madeleine triumphantly gives us a double victory sign. It was a long way to go, but she crossed the finish line with a smile on her face!