Dr. Hamlin Opens 2nd of Five Mini-HospitalsOne step closer to eradicating fistula

News from the Fistula Foundation, Spring 2006

IN THIS ISSUE

Transformations

PAGE 2 | Letter from Dr. Catherine Hamlin,Founder of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital

PAGE 2 | Bridget Leahyembodies the Holiday Spirit

PAGE 2 | St. John UnitedLutheran honors the lateGunvar Bartrand-Larson

PAGE 3 | Hospital welcomesInternational Partners

PAGE 4 | The DignityBracelet: A Story of Giving

The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital opened its second mini-hospital in the NorthernEthiopian city of Mekele on February 7, 2006. Dr. Hamlin's warm smile beamednearly as brightly as the Ethiopiansun, as her team moved closer torealizing their long term dream oferadicating the tragedy of fistulafrom Ethiopia.

The mini-hospital in Mekele is the 2nd of five planned permanentfacilities being built around Ethiopiato help fistula sufferers who arespread throughout the countryside.For years doctors and nurses fromthe Hospital in the capital of AddisAbaba have been traveling toregional hospitals to operate onfistula victims who could not makethe journey to Addis Ababa. Thenew mini-hospitals will allow Dr. Hamlin and her team to double their treatmentcapacity in five years, and triple it in ten years.

The mini-Hospitalin Mekele wasmade possible bygenerous donationsfrom the Australiangovernment andprivate donors. TheFistula Foundation,with inspiringsupport from theEthiopian-AmericanCommunity

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Mini-hospitals now open in Mekele and Bahr Dahr.New mini-hospitals will eventually operate in

Metu, Harrar and Yirgalem too.

Dr. Hamlin opens new Mini-Hospital in Northern Ethiopia

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In C G sa Et fo in so g

Dear friends,

I know you will all be so excited andpleased to hear that this month weopened our second Fistula mini-hospital- for the women of Tigray Province inthe Northern Ethiopia City of Mekele.

The actual opening ceremony was onFebruary 7th. The sun shone downbrightly when we all gathered in frontof our new building - sitting on chairsand under awnings! Many speeches weremade. The spacious ward looked lovelywith its beds all in place and curtains onthe windows. We are grateful to havesuch a hospital dedicated to help curethe fistula patients of this hugeProvince, with its 6 million inhabitants!Our new mini-hospital is a wonderful and generous gift from Australia, so ourhearts are enormously thankful. I could fill this letter with news of this day, butmust tell you of other events as well.

For two days immediately after the opening we were here at our hospital, meetingwith representatives from overseas supporting organizations, including friendsfrom the Fistula Foundation in the United States. This was a profitable and veryworthwhile time - as we discussed the future and shared our aims and vision forour work - especially our future sustainability.

I am pleased to have money invested for our future needs. This is a comfort,especially for me - to know that the women even years ahead who will still besuffering, can be sure of help, until the day dawns when there are no longer anyfistula sufferers in Ethiopia! I just hope there are people with vision to see thisneed, and who will help as we seek to secure the future. I feel sure there are somewho will be glad to think they are helping women in 2020 and 2030! I know thatwith God's help we shall succeed, as He has never failed us in the past.

With warm greetings from our staff, and with my love.

A letter from Dr. Catherine HamlinBridgetLeahyembodiesthe HolidaySpirit

Bridget Leahy is in many ways your typical 17 year-old highschool senior. She's activelyengaged in her school and lookingforward to college next year.

But, unlike most other youngwomen her age, Bridget decidedto give her time, energy andmoney this past Holiday season to benefit patients at the AddisAbaba Fistula Hospital. She notonly donated her own Christmasmoney to the Foundation, shealso sent out a special messagewith her family's Christmas cardsto 100 families. Bridget wrote “I feel so strongly about thisFoundation that I was moved toraise money... Around this holidayseason , I am asking that you lookdeep into your hearts (and yourpockets) so together we can makea difference in these delicate girls'lives.” Bridget raised over $1500.How fortunate the Hospital is tohave angels like Bridget acting ontheir behalf.

FISTULA FOUNDATIONBOARD OF DIRECTORSAbaynesh AsratAto Tekalign Gedamu (honorary)Kate Grant (ex-officio)Deborah HarrisKassahun KebedeCleopatra KirosLinda Levee PaulAllan Rosenfield, MDGerald Shefren, MDMary TadesseRobert Tessler, Esq.Whitney TilsonLarry William, MD

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St. John United Lutheran Church Members: From left to right: the late Gunvar Bartrand-Larson, Linda Hedlund, Rosemary Esbeck, Anna Falck, Carolyn Lofgren, Mary Jo Tapp

On February 9 and 10th Dr. Hamlinand her senior team at the AddisAbaba Fistula Hospital, Mr. MarkBennett, CEO and Sister RuthKennedy, Liaison Officer, hostedguests from seven countries supportingthe work of the Hospital. This is onlythe second time in its 32 year historythe Hospital has held such a gathering.Mark Bennett was able to share hisvision for the Hospital's future,including the planned tripling of

patient treatment capacity with theopening of the five new mini-hospitalsthroughout Ethiopia.

The Foundation was able to share its experiences and learn from otherorganizations from the UnitedKingdom, Australia, Japan, theNetherlands, Sweden, and the newestorganization in New Zealand, thehome country of the late husband ofDr. Hamlin, and Fistula Hospital co-

founder. Dr. Reginald Hamlin.Participants from the FistulaFoundation in the U.S. includedBoard members, Kassy Kebede (chair),Dr. Larry William and DeborahHarris, and staff members Kate Grant,Anne Ferguson and Julia Whatley. The Hospital was also delighted towelcome representatives from theSilverton Foundation, founder PamRyan and Andy White, ExecutiveDirector, and his wife Karen, andSteve Saunders of Texas and hischildren Kate and Ian.

n early 2004, the women of St. John United LutheranChurch in Seattle, Washington gathered at the home ofGunvar Bartrand-Larson. Her friends at St. John United'said Gunvar had a lifetime interest in the well being ofthiopian children. After World War II she set up a schoolor nurses in Ethiopia and had supported an orphanagen Addis Ababa. Gunvar's one last wish was to doomething charitable and she decided to organize aroup at her church to support the Fistula Hospital.

Though Ms. Bartrand-Larson passed away just beforeChristmas in 2004, at the age of 92, her loving friendscarried out her wish by raising money for the Hospital.The group held Church hoagie sales, rummage sales andthe like. In addition, the Mission Endowment Committeeof the Church contributed matching funds. TheFoundation was honored to receive the donation of$10,110.94 in memory of their dear friend GunvarBartrand-Larson.

St. John United Lutheran honors the late Gunvar Bartrand-Larson

Hospital Welcomes International Partners

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: International Partners Meeting in February

Deborah Harris (Foundation Board Memberand Founder, Women of Vision of Charlotte)

and Dr. Catherine Hamlin

through the Tesfa Ineste program willfund the building of the mini-hospitalin Harrar, in Eastern Ethiopia.

Each of the mini-hospitals will includea 20-bed ward, an operating room,educational facilities as well as otheressential facilities. The purposes of themini-hospitals are three fold:

• Treatment

• Prevention

• Education

The next of the five mini-hospitals, the one in Yirgalem, in SouthernEthiopia is scheduled to open later this spring. Stay tuned!

Foundation representatives attend opening with Dr. Hamlin. Anne Ferguson (Operations Director), Julia Whatley (Donor RelationsDirector), Dr. Catherine Hamlin, Kate Grant (Executive Director),Kassy Kebede (Board Chair), Dr. Larry William (Board Member)

A publication of

The Fistula Foundation1171 Homestead RoadSuite 265Santa Clara, CA 95050Tel: 408.249.9596Toll-free: 866.756.3700Fax: 408.516.9904info@fistulafoundation.orgwww.fistulafoundation.org

TransformationsOne step closer... continued from page 1

Like many who saw the January 2004episode of The Oprah Winfrey Showfeaturing Dr. Catherine Hamlin, SueHoese had never heard of an obstetricfistula. The show opened her eyes andmoved her to take action. She founded agroup called the “Bead Together Circleof Friends” to make beaded bracelets forpatients at the hospital, and to raiseawareness of obstetric fistula and raisefunds for the Fistula Foundation.

By October 2004, sheand her friends hadmade 1,600bracelets. Sue wasinvited to joinOprah on her visitto Ethiopia, andpresented thebracelets inperson topatients at the

Fistula Hospital. “It was an incredible,life-changing experience for me. Dr.Hamlin is as loving, kind, genuine andgracious as she appeared to be on TheOprah Winfrey Show. I admire the wayshe truly lives her faith.”

When Sue returned home toMinneapolis, she felt she had to do evenmore. “My 'Bead Together' friends and Idecided to design a message braceletthat women around the world couldwear to support this cause.” Sue con -tact ed the Fistula Foundation with heridea for the Dignity Bracelet. “We chosethe word 'Dignity' to inscribe on themain bead because of what the hospitaldoes - it restores dignity to women - andwe wanted people who wear the braceletto feel a connection to the women inEthiopia.” Sue and her friendsconnected with Jill Johnson, owner ofMinneapolis-based Jilco, Inc., who was

so moved by the plight of the fistulawomen that she is manufacturing anddistributing the bracelet at cost. Donorscan obtain a bracelet from the FistulaFoundation for a gift of $125 or more.

“I'm so grateful to The Oprah WinfreyShow for shedding light on thisproblem... I will be a life-long advocatefor this cause.” True to her word, Suespoke at a Women's Day event onMarch 4 at the University of Minnesotaabout fistula and the work of theHospital. Many Thanks Sue!

THE DIGNITY BRACELET: A STORY OF GIVING

New fistula mini-hospital opened in Mekele, Northern Ethiopia