Well, I helped that One!
Garth Toombs, 5360 District Governor 2014-2015
The story of the child throwing stranded starfish back into the ocean is well known. When challenged on how useless if was, when there were so many, the comment was – “well I saved that one!”
Back in late September of 2022, while on a visit to Uganda to review some of our projects, I was at Kibonzi Primary School and standing in the dusty schoolyard with the Headmaster, Joshua Mwereza, himself a Rotarian and President of the Kalisizo Club.
He said “I want to show you something.” He called to a little crippled girl, unable to join the other children, depressed, who limped slowly over to him. He wondered; can anything be done to help her? She was sad and in pain.
Here in Canada, we would believe that there might be a solution. Maybe corrective surgery. But the cost and impossibility of transporting this girl across the world for an uncertain outcome to her problem put that solution out of the question.
On my return, I e-mailed Rotarian Francis X Kyaluzi and asked him if he thought there was any point in pursuing a solution to this girl’s deformed leg. He asked around. He heard there was a hospital in Uganda that did surgery to correct problems like this, but he didn’t know if it would apply as there had been no diagnosis. He agreed to arrange a visit to the hospital with the girl, Nabatanzi Gorretti. (Last names are first in Uganda).
We speculated that even if there was a solution it might be impossibly costly.
The diagnosis – Blount’s Disease. John Hopkins Medicine says “Blount’s disease is a condition found in children that affects the growth plates around the knee. The disease causes the growth plate near the inside of the knee to either slow down or stop making new bone”.
The surgeons at the Uganda hospital said they could correct the leg, but it had to be done quickly as Gorretti was near the end of her growth cycle and it would not be possible if left until her legs were completely grown. She was 12, just turning 13.
Club President Madeleine supported reaching out to a few Rotarians to see if they would be willing to financially assist. The cost was much lower than we anticipated, CDN2500. A few contacts were emailed.
The very next day there were pledges to $2500 – exactly what was needed! Francis was contacted to tell him that we had the funds. The operation was in mid January.
It was a success. See the letter we received from the parent of Gorretti.
