Many of the patients that Operation Walk NY will operate on in Ghana this year will have had a bout with Malaria, with relapses occurring from time to time. Most also suffer from Sickle Cell Disease which causes aseptic necrosis of the hip resulting in pain and immobility. Operation Walk NY provides an opportunity for medical expertise and care that is not available to most Ghanaians. This organization strives to provide free state of the art care – and possibly the only option for many patients to walk pain-free again. Read the blog below written by an American who was a student in Ghana.
I have a German “husband”, Janis. Don’t worry, my boyfriend knows.
I was gifted the nickname of Janis’s “wife” by some nurses during our study abroad in Ghana. We had traveled up to stunning Mole National Park, where we saw breathtakingly enormous elephants, elegant antelope, and sneaky baboons. Some friends thought the guides were kidding when they told us not to leave our things by the pool and found out the hard way… they were indeed not kidding about the bandit baboons! We had an amazing trip to the north – however, unfortunately, the trip to the more malaria-prone north did result in a few students contracting the mosquito borne parasite.
My friend Janis was one such student, and he was dumb, and waited far too long to seek medical attention. It’s not rude to say that about him in a blog, you see, because I would (and have) said that to his face, and that obviously absolves all rudeness. About two weeks after our trip to Mole, I was approaching my building on the campus of The University of Ghana and saw an ambulance. Janis was sitting in a wheelchair, and he did not look good. I put a hand on his leg to try and comfort him and will never forget how shockingly hot his skin was – even through the thick fabric of his sweatpants. This was not good. A friend and I took a taxi to meet him at the learning hospital just across the street from campus. Janis was confirmed to have Malaria and was admitted to the Malaria ward.
Janis and Alisa
The hospital was very different from what you would expect in the US. The bright yellow walls and screened windows offered a much more colorful, warm, and welcoming ambiance than the stark, harsh white of a typical American hospital. Unbeknownst to us initially, the expectation is that patients arrive with some supplies of their own – Janis texted asking for one of us to please bring him some toilet paper on his first night.
Knowing how scared I would be in that situation, I visited Janis as much as I could. His fever remained intense for a few days, and he was relatively out of it. The nurses would graciously inform me of his condition and progress. Just like in the US some nurses were bubbly, some quiet, some kind, and some gruff… but all were dedicated and passionate about their work.
As Janis’ fever spiked during one of my visits, one of the nurses suggested I could give him a sponge bath. When I agreed and asked where the sponges were, she directed me to a stand just outside the hospital where a woman was selling washcloths and towels.
The nurses noticed I had been coming regularly – one morning when I wasn’t there, the nurses asked Janis, “where is your wife!?” It stuck. My “hubby” improved over the next few days thanks to the care and expertise of the medical staff attending to him – it wasn’t long before we were back eating jollof rice, drinking Club beer (in the liter bottles it comes in), dancing to Sarkodie, and watching soccer… oh, and studying once in a while, too.
I am very thankful to the nurses who helped Janis – their care and commitment helped him return to health, and their sense of humor provided us with nicknames to last a lifetime. Though I plan on getting married to my boyfriend someday, I will always have my German “husband.”
-Written by Alisa Babcock, Op Walk NY contributor
Alisa in Accra
Operation Walk New York is a 501 (c) (3) organization.
To learn more about Operation Walk New York or donate check the website: https://operationwalknewyork.org/
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