Kouadio Christ
"I can't wait to play football again. I want to be like Messi."
7-year-old Christ's life was turned upside down when he woke up one morning with a debilitating pain in his left thigh.
Aching and swollen, his mother wasted no time in getting him to their nearest hospital. They tried to treat him, but without the proper resources for children's care, the injection they gave him only worsened his condition.
His childhood had come to an abrupt stop. His leg was swollen and painful, and Christ was no longer able to attend school or play with his friends.
An hour away was hope; in the form of a KidsOR Operating Room in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
The family made the journey to CHU de Treichville. Within a week, Christ had undergone life-changing surgery on his left leg in the Kids Operating Room facility.
His uncle, pictured above, told us, "The entire family are happy for how Christ was treated and taken care of at the hospital. Everyone has taken care of him, and have been so gentle and polite."
Christ is looking forward to getting back to school and playings with his friends again.
What We Do
1.75 billion children live without access to safe, timely surgical care. That means for 1.75 billion across the world, an illness like Christ's would lead to a lifetime of pain, suffering, disability or even death.
We're on a mission to bring safe surgery to every child. We're advocating for global surgery at international level, funding the training of paediatric surgical workforce and installing Operating Rooms like above. You can bring life-saving surgical care closer to these children.
