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Meeting Koko by Sean Cousins
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Photo by Eddie Jim
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Photo by Eddie Jim
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PNG Children Update
Since 2014 No Roads – Health, through our partnership with Children First Foundation (CFF), has assisted and arranged for children from Papua New Guinea (PNG) to travel to Australia for life-changing surgery that was not available to them in PNG.
Eight-year-old Koko had a severely bent leg which was the result of a fracture. He spent twelve months with Children First while he underwent orthopaedic surgery to straighten the leg, recovering and undergoing physiotherapy. Koko was able to return home to allow the leg to regain full strength and it was great to see him running around when we visited him. NR-H escorted him back to Australia early in 2017, for the second stage of surgery to lengthen the leg and after further surgery and physiotherapy he returned home in November 2017.
Edward, 8 years old, has Rickets Disease. He was in Australia for a seven month period in 2015. He returned with the September 2016 NR-H Coastal group to have his second stage of orthopaedic surgery. He had surgery in October 2016 where the orthopaedic surgeon removed a growth plate from one leg and replaced two plates in the other. In September 2017 NRH escorted him back to Australia for removal of the growth plate and he returned home with Koko two months later.
Itoro is 16 years old. She travelled to Australia with the November 2015 Coastal group for orthopaedic and plastic surgeons to reconstruct her foot which was severely damaged in a car accident some years earlier. She returned to PNG in October 2016 and is now able to wear shoes for the first time in about five years.
Two boys, Trophimus,15, and Daniel who is 14 came to Australia with the September 2016 NR-H Coastal group. The boys had similar conditions, with hips damaged by TB resulting in each having one leg shorter than the other. They underwent surgery to repair their hips and then recovery as the bones grew to lengthen their legs. When they were strong enough they had months of physiotherapy learning to walk properly. Trophimus returned home in December 2017 and will return with NRH for the surgeon to review him. Daniel returned home in July 2018. Both boys are doing very well.
In 2018 NRH escorted Alma and Serah, both aged 11 and Foyok 13 to Children First. Alma and Serah require orthopaedic surgery. Foyok sustained an injury when a tree fell on her shoulder and will have surgery to help restore the use of her arm. NRH will soon escort nine year old Ilona and one year old Annfreda to Australia for surgery with Children First. Ilona will have orthopaedic surgery and Annfreda will have her cleft lip corrected.
Eight-year-old Koko had a severely bent leg which was the result of a fracture. He spent twelve months with Children First while he underwent orthopaedic surgery to straighten the leg, recovering and undergoing physiotherapy. Koko was able to return home to allow the leg to regain full strength and it was great to see him running around when we visited him. NR-H escorted him back to Australia early in 2017, for the second stage of surgery to lengthen the leg and after further surgery and physiotherapy he returned home in November 2017.
Edward, 8 years old, has Rickets Disease. He was in Australia for a seven month period in 2015. He returned with the September 2016 NR-H Coastal group to have his second stage of orthopaedic surgery. He had surgery in October 2016 where the orthopaedic surgeon removed a growth plate from one leg and replaced two plates in the other. In September 2017 NRH escorted him back to Australia for removal of the growth plate and he returned home with Koko two months later.
Itoro is 16 years old. She travelled to Australia with the November 2015 Coastal group for orthopaedic and plastic surgeons to reconstruct her foot which was severely damaged in a car accident some years earlier. She returned to PNG in October 2016 and is now able to wear shoes for the first time in about five years.
Two boys, Trophimus,15, and Daniel who is 14 came to Australia with the September 2016 NR-H Coastal group. The boys had similar conditions, with hips damaged by TB resulting in each having one leg shorter than the other. They underwent surgery to repair their hips and then recovery as the bones grew to lengthen their legs. When they were strong enough they had months of physiotherapy learning to walk properly. Trophimus returned home in December 2017 and will return with NRH for the surgeon to review him. Daniel returned home in July 2018. Both boys are doing very well.
In 2018 NRH escorted Alma and Serah, both aged 11 and Foyok 13 to Children First. Alma and Serah require orthopaedic surgery. Foyok sustained an injury when a tree fell on her shoulder and will have surgery to help restore the use of her arm. NRH will soon escort nine year old Ilona and one year old Annfreda to Australia for surgery with Children First. Ilona will have orthopaedic surgery and Annfreda will have her cleft lip corrected.