New Belly Buttons
Umbilical hernias are very common in Liberia. Everywhere you go you see the signature belly protrusion. It is something I had never seen or really even heard of before I came here. It isn’t clear why there are so many, but for some reason weak abdominal muscles seem to be common in this region of the world. Often the hernia is merely a cosmetic problem, but in some cases, it can be very painful and, rarely, life threatening. The kids usually don’t mind them until they are older. In fact, often the hernia becomes a comfort to them, and it is affectionately called their “liver.”
A surgical team with Children’s Surgery International (CSI) is currently working at a hospital in Liberia. I met them last year when they were here. They found the need so intense that, before they left, they were already planning to return. Some of our kids had been evaluated then, but even though their hernias definitely needed attention, there were many other emergent cases at the time. We left that screening with the promise that we’d be on the top of the list when they returned.
On Saturday, I drove six kids to the hospital for their pre-op appointments. The kids were nervous and excited. An outing in the pick-up with Auntie Debbie is rare, but they also knew a big unknown was ahead. One girl vocalized what they were all thinking when she declared to everyone in the car, “They coming to cut our livers!”
At the hospital the kids were evaluated by a pediatrician and the surgeon; labs were done and admission papers completed. Two of the boys tested positive for malaria and started treatment immediately. They were showered with gifts by the nurses and other CSI team members. The surgeries were done on Sunday-- new belly-buttons all around. All six kids flew through with flying colors. They were a bit tired and sore, but were all discharged on Monday. I picked them up from the hospital and delivered them safely home where they were greeted with cheers from the other children. After a few days of rest, they will be out playing again and proudly showing off their new belly buttons.
