Monday, December 31, 2012

Last chance to give in 2012...

31 December 2012. The year is drawing to a close. And that means that this is your last opportunity to donate money towards the x-ray project this year. Please help us improve the only government run Children's Hospital in Sierra Leone. The money donated will go directly to the x-ray project. We're getting closer to our goal, can you help us reach it?

If you are from the UK (or elsewhere outside of the USA) and would like to make a tax deductible donation you can at: http://www.justgiving.com/xrayappeal

If you are from the USA and would like to make a tax deductible donation you can at: JustGive. (make sure program says: welbodi partnership and you can dedicate the money to the x-ray project.

2012 is almost over, but you can still make a difference. Help us help others.

Thank you for all of you support in 2012. We are looking forward to an amazing 2013.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

3 days left in 2012...


I can't believe there are only 3 days left in 2012! That also means, only 3 days left to GIVE this year. Does anyone want to help provide x-ray equipment to the only Children's hospital in Sierra Leone? Donate a little to bring about BIG change. Go to: http://www.justgiving.com/xrayappeal

Thank you on behalf of the children in Sierra Leone, the Welbodi Partnership and the Children's Hospital.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Accessorize this Christmas…


Did you buy amazing accessories to go with your Christmas outfit this year?

We are still hoping to buy the needed accessories so that we can bring a brand new digital x-ray to the Children’s Hospital in style. We need your help as many accessories are still needed such as: lead aprons and gloves, thyroid collars and protective eyewear, lead blockers, table pad and positioning blocks. Can you contribute a little more towards accessories this year?

It’s easy: go to http://www.justgiving.com/xrayappeal and donate what you can for this great cause.

This Christmas you can help the Children’s hospital in Sierra Leone by helping us make an x-ray department a reality!

To read our holiday appeal go to: http://eepurl.com/s3EaH

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Stocking stuffers for the x-ray project...



Imagine that you are setting up a new x-ray department in a hospital that has not done x-rays in the past 8 years. Visualize what the department might look like. Yes, that’s right, it is rather empty. We are hoping that you can help us change that.

As you know we are raising money for a brand new digital x-ray machine, which in itself is a very big and exciting gift for the Children’s hospital. Along with a big gift at Christmas time come the little gifts, the stocking stuffers. Can you help us raise money for the smaller items that are needed to run this facility in the New Year? 

Money donated will go towards the overall x-ray project, which includes the purchase of the following smaller items:

Lead aprons (USD 200), Gloves (USD 160), Thyroid collars (USD 75), Protective eyewear (USD 165), Various markers (USD 10), Positioning block set (USD 270), Table pad (USD 110), Lead blockers (USD 50) and more.

Donate here: http://www.justgiving.com/xrayappeal Your help is greatly appreciated.

Friday, December 21, 2012

A Special Holiday Appeal...

Dear Friends and Supporters,

All of us at the Welbodi Partnership would like to wish you and your family good health and happiness during this festive season, and to thank you for helping us share this good fortune with the children we serve.

2012 is coming to a close and we would also like to close the gap and raise the remaining funds we need to fully fund our project to establish a functioning x-ray department at the Ola During Children’s Hospital (ODCH). As you may recall, very sick children must now travel miles across Freetown – through traffic and crowds and the overwhelming hustle-and-bustle of this busy urban area – just to get an x-ray to diagnose their condition. This taxing journey is an unacceptable burden for tiny bodies already weakened by illness, and it causes dangerous delays in diagnosis and treatment. The very sickest children often cannot make the trip at all.

With your help, we can ensure that by this time next year, patients at ODCH and the neighboring maternity hospital will have access to life-saving on-site x-ray facilities.

Dr. Anne Nesbitt, a Welbodi volunteer supported by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, recently made the trip to get an x-ray with young Alhaji and his mother (seen in picture above). The trek across town left Alhaji feeling even more unwell than he was before, and it took him several days to recover. We would like to share their story in order to show the importance of this project and how with your help, we can make a difference.
"18-month-old Alhaji has septic arthritis of his shoulder. We had no option but to walk with Alhaji being carried on the back of his mum to Connaught Hospital, several obstacle-strewn miles across Freetown. Within 50 yards of ODCH, my phone was stolen. Half-way along Fourah Bay Road, Alhaji's mum's flip flops broke, so we had to buy new ones before we could continue. We negotiated the mayhem of Sani Abacha Street and finally got a taxi the last half mile to Connaught.

On the way back, no taxi would agree to take us to the East End, so we trekked back through short cuts. At one point, traffic was heavy on Sani Abacha, and our leap to avoid a lorry resulted in the demolition of a stack of margarine cartons and a stiff lecture (to me) from the market ladies. The journey back took an hour."

On a regular basis, families with children much sicker than Alhaji make this journey for x-rays, delaying diagnosis and putting their health and safety at risk. This is clearly untenable, and the sooner we can establish an in-house ODCH x-ray service, the better. Can you give a little toward this effort?

Thank you again for all your support this year.


Warmest holiday wishes,
The Welbodi Team


http://www.justgiving.com/xrayappeal

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Latest plans for X-ray: getting closer...

I realize it is high time for another x-ray project update. The great news is that with your help, we have managed to secure almost 70% of the funds for the entire x-ray project. THANK YOU!

As you can imagine, this is a huge projects with many different aspects to it such as equipment, infrastructure, installation, training, human resources, radiation protection approval etc.  Inevitably this means we need to raise a substantial amount of money. With your help, I know we can do this.

Unfortunately we recently heard that the building currently designated for radiology is scheduled to be demolished and rebuilt in February 2013. This is likely to take 18 – 24 months to complete meaning we need to find a ‘temporary’ place to install and operate the x-ray machine. Due to a shortage of rooms available within the hospital, we plan to use a container as a temporary x-ray department. Fortunately we found a company that is specialized in modifying containers for this purpose and also the company installing the machine is willing to re-install the equipment in the new building, once it has been completed. Honestly, this has been a challenge but it is a challenge that we and the hospital can fortunately overcome. So, although this change of plans has delayed our project a bit and has led to an increase in the budget, we are well on our way to making the x-ray facility a reality. We are hopeful that by April 2013 this department will be up and running.

Can you help us raise the remaining funds needed for this very important project?

Join us. Help us improve healthcare for the children of Sierra Leone. And help us get a step closer to obtaining accreditation for the hospital as a training institution.

Donate at:
http://www.justgiving.com/xrayappeal

Sunday, December 16, 2012

The journey to a diagnosis


The Welbodi Partnership continues to raise funds to establish a functioning xray department at the Ola During Children's Hospital (ODCH). Currently, very sick children must travel miles across Freetown – through traffic and crowds and the overwhelming hustle-and-bustle of this busy urban area – just to get an x-ray to diagnose their condition.

Dr. Anne Nesbitt, a Welbodi volunteer, recently made the trip across town  to get an x-ray with young Alhaji and his mother (seen in picture above). The trek across town left Alhaji feeling even more unwell than he was before, and it took him several days to recover. We would like to share their story in order to show the importance of this project and how with your help, we can make a difference.

"18-month-old Alhaji has septic arthritis of his shoulder. We had no option but to walk with Alhaji being carried on the back of his mum to Connaught Hospital, several obstacle-strewn miles across Freetown. Within 50 yards of ODCH, my phone was stolen. Half-way along Fourah Bay Road, Alhaji's mum's flip flops broke, so we had to buy new ones before we could continue. We negotiated the mayhem of Sani Abacha Street and finally got a taxi the last half mile to Connaught.
On the way back, no taxi would agree to take us to the East End, so we trekked back through short cuts. At one point, traffic was heavy on Sani Abacha, and our leap to avoid a lorry resulted in the demolition of a stack of margarine cartons and a stiff lecture (to me) from the market ladies. The journey back took an hour."

On a regular basis, families with children much sicker than Alhaji make this journey for x-rays, taxing their already weakened bodies and causing dangerous delays in diagnosis and treatment. This is clearly untenable, and the sooner we can minimise these trips with an in-house ODCH x-ray service, the better.

Can you give a little toward this effort?