The Big Day

What a day yesterday was! Let's sum it up by saying we are very grateful that all went well and Helena is safe post surgery and Dr. Schaefer said he is very pleased with how it went. Thanks be to God and all of you for your prayers as well as the many people who have helped out along the way.

There was a major problem after surgery because one of the doctor's didn't write the prescription for pain medicine after Helena left the theater.  After Helena woke up and started crying from significant pain we scrambled to find a doctor to write the prescription and then dealt with an undermanned and inefficient pharmacy.  All in all, it took two hours for Helena to get any pain medicine after surgery on her femur and tibia.  Needless to say, all this was happening back in the ward- there is not a recovery room at Kagando Hospital.

Let's look at the day in pictures:

One last blood test before surgery.  That grimace says it all.

Caitlin's sister Meghan said that at Children's Hospital kids can check out iPads to relax with .  At Kagando, at least for  Helena and her roomate Vivian, courtesy of the Rosser's they do too!

Vivian (in the purple and white stripped sweater) is Helena's room mate at Kagando.  Vivian is a girl that our friends Frank and Karen are helping to get treatment for her club foot.  Her surgery went successfully also!

Mom and Helena get the call and wait outside the theater 

Nurse/Sister Velena was very comforting to Helena just before she went into the theater.  "Mungu yupo, na atakusaidia," she said- which means, "God is here and will help you."  

Helena eeks out a smile amongst the shivering tears thanks to the encouragement of Sister Velena

Mom (Happiness) gets a chance to visit with Helena just before going into the operating room.  As you can see the effects of the anesthesia are helping Helena to feel a little better.

Post- surgery:  Helena is wheeled back to the ward.   At this point she is still under the effects of the anesthesia.  

Happiness is relieved everything went well and comforts Helena while she waits for her to wake up.

An IV pole at Kagando Hospital.

The Day Before the "Big Day"

This morning we were greeted by Helena's big smile as we entered her hospital room. She immediately asked if we could go out to the playground as promised yesterday, but her fun was cut short when Doctor Isador showed up with Doctor Schaefer to introduce him to Helena and make plans for tomorrow. Helena's big smile quickly turned to tears as mom removed her pants to show the doctors her legs. It was painful for all of us to watch us they manipulated Helena's legs and talked about where they would make cuts and place pins.  Of course the doctors were extremely kind and professional, but I think the experience just made everything more real for all of us. It reminded us that we aren't just all here on a nice vacation from Mwanza, but for a scary but possibly life changing operation for a delicate little girl.

After the doctors left David pulled Helena into his lap and we talked about how we had both had surgeries when we were little. We explained to her how scared we were but how we got better because the doctors were smart and  because we had so many people praying for us. Helena's smile quickly returned when we told her how many people all the way in America are praying for her.

Fortunately the day just got better from there when Helena's new roommate Vivian, a seven year old girl our friends Frank and Karen have been accompanying through her journey to have her clubbed foot repaired, arrived.  The moms seemed very happy to meet each other too and immediately connected like old friends, sharing food and speaking Kihiya ( their shared tribal dialect).  Our hope is that the moms and girls will be great sources of comfort to each other. 

Since tomorrow Helena and Vivian will both be having their operations, we set out to make the rest of the day as fun and worry free as possible. The two new friends started their day off sharing tea and bread, followed by a puppet show with David, then some piggy back rides and playground time and finally a little Snow White. The day was filled with smiles and giggles. It was hard to not think about how difficult the next few days and weeks may be for these two little girls, but knowing that they are hopefully on the way to walking and running makes it all worth it. Please keep Helena and Vivian and their families in your prayers.

The big trip across the pond

Last night Happiness (Helena's mother), Helena, Caitlin and I all boarded the MV Victoria to sail west to Bukoba. Needless to say, half an hour beforehand, it was a moving event to accompany the brother, sister and cousins as they trekked down the three flight high hillside stairs from their house to the waiting car. The excitement, the anxiety, the years long wait for treatment- all could be sensed among them as they said goodbyes amongst the busy Mwanza nighttime bustle.

Helena's simple joy about her new, yet scary, adventure could be sensed as she explored the large former mail boat, gazed at the floating kerosene lanterns marking fish nets, counted the stars and finally crashed into bed. There is a sense of boding anxiety however as we delicately talk about the upcoming operation. It will take months for everything to recover, not to mention the sheer bravery that an eight year old, or any age, needs to undergo the chopping up and repining of one's tibia and femur. Understandably,in the morning, when we arrived in Bukoba, Helena shook her head that she did not sleep well.

Happiness and Helena are settled in at the hospital, waiting for Friday. We feel very honored to have a small role in this big journey and are glad you too can join us. Please keep them in your prayers and enjoy some photos and video of the trip!

Here's a video of Helena on the boat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5ZP5i3RoNY

Prayer's for Helena

Helena's Story

There's been some exciting news going on around Huruma Special Unit lately.  But it's not over yet, and we sure could use your help, especially your prayers.

You may remember the girl pictured above, Helena, from a previous blog about prayers for a good place for her to be included with her non-disabled peers.  You see, according to Dr. Bob Thompson, a good friend back home and the first person I went to about this condition, Helena's only disability is that her tibia and right femur are so bowed that she cannot walk on her own.  It's a very rare condition called congenital pseudoarthrosis of the tibia.  Helena's faith filled family had pursued treatment before, and one of the legs has been operated on, but one of the doctors died and the other returned to America to do research before the treatment was finished.

A couple weeks ago, Caitlin and I were visiting our friends Frank and Karen (two missionaries from North Carolina living in Bukoba across Lake Victoria).  We went with them as they were helping a little girl living in a village get treatment for her clubbed foot.  While the doctor was making his final inspection of the casting, I quickly showed him Helena's picture and asked if he knew anyone who could help her.  One name led to another and soon I was emailing a Tanzanian doctor named Doctor Isidor and his mentor, Dr. Shaefer from Wisconsin.  Dr. Isidor informed me that Dr. Shaefer would be coming on the 20th and that they might be able to do an operation.  

We brought Helena into the regional hospital here in Mwanza, Bugando Hospital, for x-rays, blood work and an ultrasound and Dr. Isidor says she meets the criteria.  The next step comes next Sunday when Caitlin, myself, Helena's mother Happiness and Helena will make the boat trip over to Bukoba for the operation.  

How can you help?   Most importantly, pray for Helena and her family.  Dr. Isidor has said that the treatment is very difficult and takes a very long time.  It involves breaking her shins  and femur up into pieces and repining it back together.  Fortunately, Dr. Shaefer has done this type of operation before and Dr. Isidor sounds very confident (Dr. Isidor didn't mention whether he had also).  The healing from the operation will take a very long time, and even though I am pretty certain Dr. Shaefer is doing his work free, many of the tools and materials used will cost money.

I have appreciated how the family has come forth so far and paid as much as they could for the different tests we have already done.  Although the family has some means, this operation is certainly going to be a burden for them, emotionally as well as financially.  Fortunately, the local parish, Pasiansi (where Huruma has a classroom and Helena goes to school) has offered to pay half of the medical bills.  Can we pick up the second half?

Helena and her family live halfway up a large hill in a small but well built 150 square foot house.  For now, every day one of her family members carries her up and down the three flights of stairs to get to school.  Someday however she will be to big to carry.  Please join with me in prayer that this operation goes well so that some day Helena will be able to walk up and down these stairs herself.  If you would like to help the family with some of the medical bills, please go to mklm.org/Rossers and be sure to write, "For the mission account of David Rosser- Helena" in the comments section.

Thank you and I will keep you posted.

The prayers of the righteous are powerful indeed . . .

Pictured below are Edward and Helena. They are some of the most advanced students at Huruma Special Unit right now. Edward suffers from cerebral palsy and Helena has deformed shins that bend midway, looking almost like she has two sets of knees. Both are extremely sharp. In fact, I strongly believe that if they had the accommodations and supports that many children have in countries with developed education programs (such as the U.S.) they would be learning alongside their peers in regular ed. classrooms.

I've been thinking about how these two could be included in the regular government schools with their peers. However, current conditions make inclusion nearly impossible, if not detrimental. For example, the bathrooms at the local primary schools are absolutely disgusting. Imagine trying to crawl across a feces ridden floor to attempt to urinate in a hole when you cannot stand above and have nothing to hold onto to hold you up. Furthermore, the teachers at these schools have refused to help a person with physical disabilities go to do such things as go to the bathroom (Bertha Haas, Huruma's founder, has already tried).

So, with the public school not being a viable option, I have been wondering about some of the local Catholic schools. After all, isn't it the work of Christ to care for the marginalized and the disenfranchised? Aren't we showing love for our Lord when we care for "one of the least of these"? Education of students with disabilities should be one of the priorities of Catholic Education, here in Mwanza and everywhere.

There are a couple of possibilities for sites here in Mwanza, but I am not totally sure they are ready yet. My request is that you bring these issues before the Lord, that miraculous movements may happen in order that students like Helena and Edward can learn in appropriate settings, alongside their peers, without hardships.

As always, thanks for all of your support and prayers.. We hope you and yours are having a very blessed year.

IEP's are progressing!

A rare sighting in Tanzania!  An IEP meeting run completely by Tanzanian teachers over an IEP written by them.  These IEP's are critical to delivering education that is tailored to the specific needs of each of our students.  I am very proud of these teachers who have jumped on board and feel empowered to be designing the goals and objectives for their students, in turn, driving their lesson planning.

Did you know that $15 buys an IEP for a student here in Mwanza?  In the states teachers can receive more than $100 stipend for the IEP meetings they lead.  Help show your support of the budding movement of specialized education for students with disabilities today. Go to www.mklm.org/Rossers and be sure and put Huruma Special Unit IEPs into the comments section of your donation.  You could also mail your check to: Huruma Special Unit, PO 5021, Mwanza Tanzania  E.A.C.    Karibu!

Why is this phone charging in the classroom?

Why is this phone being charged at school?   Well, it's because many of our teachers don't have electricity in their homes.  Can you imagine doing the difficult, but extremely important, work of teaching students with severe disabilities and then have to go home to a house without electricity?

Perhaps you'd like to write one of our dedicated staff an encouraging letter to let them know that many people in the world think they are doing something great?  Pick a teacher from the list below and send it to

Teacher's Name
Huruma Special Unit
PO 5021
Mwanza Tanzania

Our teachers:

Godfrey
Dotto
Agnes
Frank
Mary Maridadi
Erick
Magdelena
Matilda
Eliza
and Andrew (the director)

Thanks for your support!