While we were meeting the medical part of our team, surgeries continued.

Above, we see Sayed with his dad before surgery.

Sayed after surgery.  His cleft lip has been repaired.  The surgeon placed a small piece of gauze in his nose to maintain the shape of his nostril, which will be removed as the wound heals.  Right now, the area around Sayed’s nose and lip are swollen.  It will look completely normal in about a week.

Zam Zam before surgery

Zam Zam after his cleft lip has been repaired.

Mahmoud before surgery

Mahmoud after surgery

Gabriel has lived with his cleft lip all his life.  Now it will finally be repaired.

Gabriel right after surgery.  Again, things are swollen, and will look much different after it heals.

This boy has had his cleft repaired in the past.  We will do a revision.

 

After surgery

Mark’s ear had a congenital deformity.

Mark, all bandaged up, after his ear was surgically repaired.  He is actually awake, but wouldn’t open his eyes to look at us.

This little boy had a burn contracture release on his neck, so he will now be able to turn his head.  He is talking on the  phone with his grandmother just after surgery.

Douania after surgery.  She had a burn contracture release to allow her right arm to move more freely.

Things have been very busy up on the ward with as many as forty patients and their families staying at the hospital before and after surgery.

There has been a lot of coloring going on!  This is our Wall of Fame!

This boy will soon add his coloring to the wall.

This grandmother wanted to show off her coloring.  It was her first time.

Radwa had a burn contracture release of her right hand.  After surgery, it is bandaged up and in a sling to keep her hand above the level of her heart.  She is coloring with her non-dominant hand with help from her mom.

One of our favorite patients, Choban, coloring.

Susie Fox, our Ward Coordinator, brought three amazing wordless books along with her to ‘read’ to the children.  Jessy, an AFSer, is reading one here.

The little things?  The little moments?  They aren’t little.                                            Jon Kabat-Zinn