‘Operation Rainbow’ a success

Four-year-old Josann Woods was quiet and reserved as a group comprising health officials and the media gathered at her bedside. Her right leg was bandaged at the knee where doctors had amputated the lower limb last Thursday. While most people have two bones in the lower leg, Josann had one. This caused deformity in the leg — her foot turned upward, and she walked on the side of her ankle or hopped. She never complained and this quiet resilience impressed Dr Roosevelt Alcorn, one of the surgeons with Operation Rainbow. He told Newsday that after the surgery he never heard Josann cry and she required little painkillers. “She has so much guts.” Her mother Carol Woods said, “All she told me was ‘the doctor cut off her foot.’ I told her she could not walk on the foot so the doctor take it off and will put a new foot.”

Health Minister John Rahael managed to coax a smile from the tot yesterday, while visiting some of the 38 youths ranging in ages from eight months to 19 years who received orthopaedic surgery last week at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Mt Hope. The surgeries were done by a team from Operation Rainbow, an American non-governmental organisation whose mission is to relieve pain and suffering in children through providing free surgical procedures. They were invited to TT by another NGO, Mission International (Trinidad.) The Health Ministry facilitated the project by making the EWMSC and its staff available. In a media briefing held earlier, Dr Alcorn said performing an amputation on such a young patient did cause “trauma” for the medical team. However, he said there would be benefits after she got a prosthesis. “She will be able to run and jump with her friends.”

Josann will get a crutch in two weeks. Dr Alcorn said the NGO Medical Bridges will ensure that she got a prosthesis and other artificial limbs as she grows. Eight-year-old Michael Harrilal also had surgery on his right leg. Dr Chris Smith, who led the Operation Rainbow surgical team, said Michael had a form of cerebral palsy which caused muscle contractions in the leg. Surgery was performed last Thursday to straighten and lengthen the muscles. Dr Smith said the “tough part” of recovery would be exercise and physiotherapy. Michael’s leg will remain in a cast for six weeks, then he will graduate to crutches. Dr Smith anticipated that he should be walking six weeks. Unfortunately Michael’s mother, Dhanmattie, was not at his bedside yesterday. She was killed in a motor vehicle accident at Morvant Junction on Christmas Day last year. In the months prior to the accident, she was involved in arrangements for Michael to have corrective surgery. Michael’s father Kishore Harrilal said her “one wish was to see him get better.”

Kishore said Michael wanted to have surgery because he is an active child. The problem with his leg did not stop him from trying to play cricket and football. “From the beginning it was very hard, but he learnt to adjust. At his school, (the Orange Field Hindu School) from the cleaner to principal took care of him.” Asked how he felt now that the surgery was done, Michael shyly responded, “Good.” Approximately 124 children ranging in ages from eight months to 19 years were screened last Sunday. Health Minister John Rahael said although there were 38 surgeries, they entailed 55 procedures because of the complexity of their cases. While some children did not benefit because their cases required extensive work, Rahael said arrangements would be made for them. Another Operation Rainbow team is expected in September to do plastic surgery. Dr Smith said the mission to TT was “hugely successful.” He said some surgeries took 12-13 hours to do.

Dr Smith said surgical procedures were done to correct congenital defects, limb and foot deformities. He said surgery would make measurable differences in the lives of the patients. There were no major complications. Dr Smith said physical therapy was important, and would be intensive for some patients. An orthopaedic specialist has been educating families about exercises so therapy can continue at home. Therapists at Mt Hope were also informed about what would be needed. Another positive outcome of the trip is that a member of the surgical team is from “Medical Bridges,” an NGO which procures medical instruments. Dr Smith said the team would like to send medical equipment for surgery as well as wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs. He commended the EWMSC medical personnel led by Dr Rowland Moze.