Our team has completed their last surgeries and post-op rounds. This week, they delivered life-changing surgical care to 58 children. As they begin the long journey home, we celebrate the impact of their service and collaboration which will continue to be felt by families and colleagues for years to come.
First-time CSI volunteer, KJ Maneval is headed home from Ethiopia with lighter bags. As a surgical tech at Children’s MN, KJ asked her coworkers to donate gently used scrub hats for the CSI team to share with medical colleagues in Ethiopia. She collected more than 250 hats, in every color and design.
To celebrate the end of a week of collaboration and education, CSI medical volunteers gifted hats to Ethiopian colleagues they partnered with throughout the mission. The gift was met with smiles and giggles over the fun patterns — a highlight for many medical staff who have limited resources.
Thank you, KJ for this thoughtful gift. Thank you to the entire team of dedicated volunteers for their incredible service this week. Thank you CSI supporters for fueling the work. Together, we are changing lives and strengthening communities! #PartnershipandCollaboration#GlobalHealth...
This week brought together so much teamwork and coordination — all for one important purpose: providing children the life-changing specialized care they need.
More details (and numbers!) to come as our team returns. For now, enjoy a few highlights from the week.
An estimated 1.7 billion children worldwide lack access to safe, specialized surgical care and anesthesia, with the majority living in low- and middle-income countries. In Africa, most countries have fewer than 0.5 anesthesia providers per 100,000 people — and specialist shortages are just one of the barriers limiting access to care.
Investing in pediatric anesthesia training and developing future leaders is vital to improving perioperative care for children in Africa. Fortunately, many talented anesthesia colleagues in Ethiopia are eager to deepen their skills.
CSI is thrilled to support growth in this area. We have engaged longtime volunteer Dr. Zipporah Gathuya as a Program Consultant to lead our surgical outreach and training initiatives in Ethiopia and other programs in Africa. You can see Dr. Gathuya (“Zippy” to those who know her) in action this week, supporting our surgical fellowship training there.
An internationally recognized pediatric anesthesiologist with over 20 years of experience across the public and private sectors, Dr. Gathuya is based at The Nairobi Hospital in Kenya. She brings new organizational leadership to CSI, along with first-hand expertise and strong cultural competence, to elevate pediatric anesthesia education and expand access to resources for our partners.
Welcome to the CSI clinical leadership team, Dr. Gathuya!
With patients coming from across Ethiopia and surrounding regions, we need to communicate with families who speak one or more languages or dialects. We rely on our interpreter partners to bridge that gap.
Interpreters are often the voices and ears for our patients and their families. For more than 10 years, Taitu Tour and Travel Ethiopia has been an essential partner in Ethiopia, providing travel and logistical support and placing interpreters alongside CSI teams. They help us connect with families, hear their stories, and understand their needs, communicating with clarity and compassion in fast-moving medical and social environments.
We are grateful for the passion they bring to this work. Thank you to the entire Taitu Tours team! 🙏
Ethiopia surgical day #3 - This is Dessalegn 💙 He and his father traveled to Bahir Dar from the northernmost part of Ethiopia — a two day bus ride — for his second urology surgery. Once he has healed, he will be able to urinate “normally” without worrying about infections.
So often, the results of our medical care go beyond physical health. For Dessalegn, this means both functional and social continence.
Our time with patients and their families also begins before the operating room, as we keep them calm and engaged in advance of surgery. With patients as sweet as Dessalegn, this rarely feels like work. #GlobalHealth#pediatricsurgery#changinglivesonechildatatime...
5 days ago
Theresa Philbin, RN, CSI Board of Directors member, and long-time clinical lead in Ethiopia, reflects on this trip and the team. At the end of the day today, she shared the following:
While there’s a consistent focus on patients across teams, each trip to Ethiopia is unique. Here are 3 key things we’re thinking about for this trip:
1. We have a full schedule With our large team, we have been able to schedule 60 patients for the week. That is a larger number of patients compared to most of our Ethiopia trips. It is beautiful to watch the teams care for so many kids.
2. This requires more care that continues after surgery More than half are urology patients and about 90% of them will stay in the hospital longer for post-operative care. By Tuesday we had 20 patients in the ward, and by Friday we are expecting around 35. While this volume puts a bigger burden on the nursing staff, they are handling it with grace, skill, and compassion.
3. We get to see more teaching and collaboration We’re fortunate to work in a medical school teaching hospital where our local colleagues are deeply engaged. There has been a lot of teaching and collaboration with staff surgeons, residents, and students across many disciplines, including pediatric anesthesia, urology, and ENT.
This team is amazing, hardworking, and collaborative, and it’s great to able to have glowing things to say about absolutely everyone.
Rahel’s mom has spent this past week doing all the prep work required for her daughter’s surgery. Several of the tests Rahel needed aren’t available at Tibebe Ghion Hospital, so, like many families, her mom had to work with outside labs.
The CSI team, Ethiopian doctors, and interpreters helped her navigate this process and get the results needed for surgery. Today, Rahel was admitted overnight so she can receive some medications before her operation tomorrow.
In Ethiopia, families typically go to the pharmacy themselves to purchase and bring every medication and medical supply a patient will need for surgery to the hospital – including medications, IV fluids and even gloves. Getting a child ready for surgery takes patience, effort, and determination.
For CSI surgeries, we’re proud to cover the financial burden on families.Those 26 bags of medical supplies go a long way towards this. But there is still so much families undertake to give their children access to life-changing care and their advocacy is always moving.
Tomorrow is Rahel’s big day. We’ll share an update when we can.
And today, 13 more young patients received surgery, thanks to the work of our volunteers and local partners and the determination and efforts of their families.
Dr. Phil Chaffin and team got to see familiar faces return today!
We first saw Liyunesh in February, when she was just 7 months old. Born with facial malformations, she and her family had been shunned by their village and told that her condition was caused by wrongdoing by her parents. At that time, her father wrote a letter to CSI, giving us a glimpse into all they had experienced and undertaken to get their daughter to care - including a 12-hour trip from their village.
Now just one-and-a-half years old, Liyunesh’s surgeries with CSI are complete. In a new letter, her father shared much in their life has not changed – they still had a challenging journey, traveling “through difficult circumstance, amid conflict, gunfire and check points, just to reach this place.”
But the change the surgeries will give Liyunesh in her life are evident. “No words can fully express how [grateful] we are [for] everything you have done [for] our daughter and our family.”
Day 1 of surgeries is always a busy one, with plenty of anticipation and activity. Surgical and support teams are quietly focused, but highly engaged in their collaboration with one another. Parents show relief in finally getting their children to the day of critical care, but are also keenly aware and concerned for what their child is about to undergo.
And through it all, the children show remarkable patience and provide sweetness and energy, keeping everyone connected and uplifted throughout the day – an amazing affirmation of why we’re all here. Thirteen surgeries were completed today, thanks to the incredible teamwork of everyone involved.
Our team has completed their last surgeries and post-op rounds. This week, they delivered life-changing surgical care to 58 children. As they begin the long journey home, we celebrate the impact of their service and collaboration which will continue to be felt by families and colleagues for years to come.
First-time CSI volunteer, KJ Maneval is headed home from Ethiopia with lighter bags. As a surgical tech at Children’s MN, KJ asked her coworkers to donate gently used scrub hats for the CSI team to share with medical colleagues in Ethiopia. She collected more than 250 hats, in every color and design.
To celebrate the end of a week of collaboration and education, CSI medical volunteers gifted hats to Ethiopian colleagues they partnered with throughout the mission. The gift was met with smiles and giggles over the fun patterns — a highlight for many medical staff who have limited resources.
Thank you, KJ for this thoughtful gift. Thank you to the entire team of dedicated volunteers for their incredible service this week. Thank you CSI supporters for fueling the work. Together, we are changing lives and strengthening communities!
#PartnershipandCollaboration #GlobalHealth ...
This week brought together so much teamwork and coordination — all for one important purpose: providing children the life-changing specialized care they need.
More details (and numbers!) to come as our team returns. For now, enjoy a few highlights from the week.
Bravo, team!
#chaginglives #GlobalHealth #pediatricsurgery #cleftstrong ...
An estimated 1.7 billion children worldwide lack access to safe, specialized surgical care and anesthesia, with the majority living in low- and middle-income countries. In Africa, most countries have fewer than 0.5 anesthesia providers per 100,000 people — and specialist shortages are just one of the barriers limiting access to care.
Investing in pediatric anesthesia training and developing future leaders is vital to improving perioperative care for children in Africa. Fortunately, many talented anesthesia colleagues in Ethiopia are eager to deepen their skills.
CSI is thrilled to support growth in this area. We have engaged longtime volunteer Dr. Zipporah Gathuya as a Program Consultant to lead our surgical outreach and training initiatives in Ethiopia and other programs in Africa. You can see Dr. Gathuya (“Zippy” to those who know her) in action this week, supporting our surgical fellowship training there.
An internationally recognized pediatric anesthesiologist with over 20 years of experience across the public and private sectors, Dr. Gathuya is based at The Nairobi Hospital in Kenya. She brings new organizational leadership to CSI, along with first-hand expertise and strong cultural competence, to elevate pediatric anesthesia education and expand access to resources for our partners.
Welcome to the CSI clinical leadership team, Dr. Gathuya!
#pediatricanesthesia #pediatricsurgery #globalhealth ...
With patients coming from across Ethiopia and surrounding regions, we need to communicate with families who speak one or more languages or dialects. We rely on our interpreter partners to bridge that gap.
Interpreters are often the voices and ears for our patients and their families. For more than 10 years, Taitu Tour and Travel Ethiopia has been an essential partner in Ethiopia, providing travel and logistical support and placing interpreters alongside CSI teams. They help us connect with families, hear their stories, and understand their needs, communicating with clarity and compassion in fast-moving medical and social environments.
We are grateful for the passion they bring to this work. Thank you to the entire Taitu Tours team! 🙏
#Nonprofit #pediatricsurgery #medicalinterpreter ...
Ethiopia surgical day #3 - This is Dessalegn 💙 He and his father traveled to Bahir Dar from the northernmost part of Ethiopia — a two day bus ride — for his second urology surgery. Once he has healed, he will be able to urinate “normally” without worrying about infections.
So often, the results of our medical care go beyond physical health. For Dessalegn, this means both functional and social continence.
Our time with patients and their families also begins before the operating room, as we keep them calm and engaged in advance of surgery. With patients as sweet as Dessalegn, this rarely feels like work.
#GlobalHealth #pediatricsurgery #changinglivesonechildatatime ...
Theresa Philbin, RN, CSI Board of Directors member, and long-time clinical lead in Ethiopia, reflects on this trip and the team. At the end of the day today, she shared the following:
While there’s a consistent focus on patients across teams, each trip to Ethiopia is unique. Here are 3 key things we’re thinking about for this trip:
1. We have a full schedule
With our large team, we have been able to schedule 60 patients for the week. That is a larger number of patients compared to most of our Ethiopia trips. It is beautiful to watch the teams care for so many kids.
2. This requires more care that continues after surgery
More than half are urology patients and about 90% of them will stay in the hospital longer for post-operative care. By Tuesday we had 20 patients in the ward, and by Friday we are expecting around 35. While this volume puts a bigger burden on the nursing staff, they are handling it with grace, skill, and compassion.
3. We get to see more teaching and collaboration
We’re fortunate to work in a medical school teaching hospital where our local colleagues are deeply engaged. There has been a lot of teaching and collaboration with staff surgeons, residents, and students across many disciplines, including pediatric anesthesia, urology, and ENT.
This team is amazing, hardworking, and collaborative, and it’s great to able to have glowing things to say about absolutely everyone.
#pediatricsurgery #globalhealth #medicaleducation #partnership ...
Meet Rahel, age 4, and her mom and big sister. 💛
Rahel’s mom has spent this past week doing all the prep work required for her daughter’s surgery. Several of the tests Rahel needed aren’t available at Tibebe Ghion Hospital, so, like many families, her mom had to work with outside labs.
The CSI team, Ethiopian doctors, and interpreters helped her navigate this process and get the results needed for surgery. Today, Rahel was admitted overnight so she can receive some medications before her operation tomorrow.
In Ethiopia, families typically go to the pharmacy themselves to purchase and bring every medication and medical supply a patient will need for surgery to the hospital – including medications, IV fluids and even gloves. Getting a child ready for surgery takes patience, effort, and determination.
For CSI surgeries, we’re proud to cover the financial burden on families.Those 26 bags of medical supplies go a long way towards this. But there is still so much families undertake to give their children access to life-changing care and their advocacy is always moving.
Tomorrow is Rahel’s big day. We’ll share an update when we can.
And today, 13 more young patients received surgery, thanks to the work of our volunteers and local partners and the determination and efforts of their families.
#globalhealth #pediatricsurgery #nonprofit #pediatriccare
Taitu Tour and Travel Ethiopia ...
Dr. Phil Chaffin and team got to see familiar faces return today!
We first saw Liyunesh in February, when she was just 7 months old. Born with facial malformations, she and her family had been shunned by their village and told that her condition was caused by wrongdoing by her parents. At that time, her father wrote a letter to CSI, giving us a glimpse into all they had experienced and undertaken to get their daughter to care - including a 12-hour trip from their village.
Now just one-and-a-half years old, Liyunesh’s surgeries with CSI are complete. In a new letter, her father shared much in their life has not changed – they still had a challenging journey, traveling “through difficult circumstance, amid conflict, gunfire and check points, just to reach this place.”
But the change the surgeries will give Liyunesh in her life are evident. “No words can fully express how [grateful] we are [for] everything you have done [for] our daughter and our family.”
#accesstocare #globalhealth #pediatricsurgery #Ethiopia ...
Day 1 of surgeries is always a busy one, with plenty of anticipation and activity. Surgical and support teams are quietly focused, but highly engaged in their collaboration with one another. Parents show relief in finally getting their children to the day of critical care, but are also keenly aware and concerned for what their child is about to undergo.
And through it all, the children show remarkable patience and provide sweetness and energy, keeping everyone connected and uplifted throughout the day – an amazing affirmation of why we’re all here. Thirteen surgeries were completed today, thanks to the incredible teamwork of everyone involved.
#pediatricsurgery #globalhealth #Ethiopia #nonprofit ...