BAREFOOT TO BIRMINGHAM!! 

Thank you for visiting my page! I am fundraising for the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by walking barefoot from my home in Worcestershire to the Birmingham Women’s Hospital- about 35 miles.THE WALK IS FROM 9^th-12^th JUNE 2010

Imagine- giving birth to a dead baby after a week in labour

Imagine- leaking urine and faeces constantly- smelling so bad that you’re turned out of your home

Imagine- your family throwing food to you because they don’t want to get too close to the smell

And imagine- that you’re 15 years old..

WHY BAREFOOT? I’m walking barefoot because most of the young women who need treatment for a fistula will not have money for shoes and- because they smell so bad- are not normally tolerated on public transport. So they walk barefoot. I will spend 4 days walking, stopping every evening to talk about the Fistula Hospital and trying to raise awareness of the great work it does (and also washing my feet!)

  WHAT IS A FISTULA? In Ethiopia, and other countries where there are sparse medical facilities, many women (often teenagers aged 14 or 15) have very difficult labours that go on for days, ending in a stillbirth. Because  of poor nutrition and arduous work, many are only the size that a 12 year old might be in the UK. The trauma of the birth also often causes a vaginal fistula (a hole) in the bladder, rectum or in the worst cases, in both. A fistula leaves the woman permanently incontinent in one or two respects. It will not heal on its own and, untreated, the woman is cast out of her community because of her offensive smell. The lack of antenatal and obstetric care and facilities is compounded by the terrain of the country itself- most of the population live several days walk from a proper road- let alone a clinic.

Ethiopia is one of the poorest nations in the world, with staggeringly high maternal and infant mortality

RESTORE A LIFE The Hamlin Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa offers restorative surgery, rehabilitation, and a new set of clothes for any woman who needs its help. It makes no charge to these women, and over 90% of patients are completely cured. A great deal of work is also being done to provide midwives to remote communities and to open regional centres for restorative surgery in other parts of Ethiopia.
It costs about £400 to buy back the dignity and health of a young woman- but ANY AMOUNT, however small, will be a real help in this fantastic and lifechanging work. Just a few pounds will buy a young woman a new dress to go home in, £30 will pay for nourishing food to help her recover from surgery. £55 will pay for the surgical supplies for a patient.

  FIND OUT MORE Please visit www.hamlinfistulauk.org  You can also see a video about the work of the hospital “A walk to beautiful” via this link www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w-fOmovijc

PLEASE DONATE NOW!

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