A Life Was Born

Recent photo of El Haji

 

On December 25, 2023, a little life was born in Fatige, a remote leprosy village in Senegal. Farin Drameh welcomed his second son with joy. The child’s eyes were big and round, and his cry was like an eagle in the wilderness of Senegal. He named this beautiful boy El Haji Saidou Drameh.

However, the sky of joy was soon shrouded in shadows. The midwife told Farin solemnly: “Your son was born without an anus. This is anal atresia.” The bad news was like a bolt from the blue, and the child’s mother fainted on the spot. Farin gently shook his wife’s shoulders to wake her up. The mother held back her tears and firmly told her husband: “Even if we have to go bankrupt, we must save the child! He must live.”

 

The Road to Surgical Treatment

Fatige Village is located in Tagu Province, 700 kilometers away from the capital Dakar. The medical conditions here are extremely limited, and there is not even a well-equipped hospital. In order to save the child’s life, Farin, his wife and the newborn El Haji, embarked on a long and bumpy journey. They took a bumpy bus for five hours and finally arrived at Tambacounda Provincial Hospital 250 kilometers away.

At Tambacounda Provincial Hospital, doctors performed an abdominal fistula operation on El Haji and connected a plastic bag to the child’s lower abdomen to collect his excrement, temporarily maintaining this fragile life. The doctor told Farin that this was only a stopgap measure: “When the child is six months old, we must perform anal reconstruction surgery on him.”

El Haji after the fistula operation

 

As El Haji grew up day by day, his diet gradually transitioned from liquid to solid food. His mother carefully pressed his abdomen every day to help him discharge his excrement into a plastic bag. However, El Haji’s abdomen became more and more swollen day by day, and sometimes he would cry in pain with a slight touch. There is another bigger problem facing Farin Drameh’s family. The last abdominal fistula operation alone has almost exhausted all their savings, and the next anal reconstruction operation seems to be an astronomical figure, which makes this poor family almost desperate.

 

The Power of Love

In March 2024, when Farin Dera heard that the “Africa Cries Out” medical team arrived at the Fatige Leprosy Village, they immediately brought their children for help. At this time, El Haji’s abdomen was bulging like a hill, and his mother hugged him tightly, asking for help from the “Africa Cries Out” medical team with tears in her eyes.

Dr. Zhuangzhi Zhao, a professor of neurology at Stanford University School of Medicine, and the medical team of the “Africa Cries Out” team conducted a comprehensive examination of El Haji and told the Farin Drameh family: “The child’s rectum and anus are developing, and the surgery needs to wait until he is six months old.”

Professor Zhuangzhi Zhao examining El Haji

 

The Farin Dera couple already knew the result. In fact, their biggest worry was that they had no way to raise the subsequent medical expenses. The couple did not speak English and could only look at the medical team with desperate and pleading eyes.

After learning about the situation of Farin Drameh’s family, Pastor Anna and the head of “Africa Cries Out” comforted them with a gentle voice: “Please don’t worry about the cost of El Haji’s surgery. No matter how much it is, we will help you, because the Gospel of Matthew says: ‘Truly I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers, you did it for me.'”

On October 21, 2024, El Haji’s anal reconstruction surgery was a complete success. After completing rehabilitation treatment in the hospital, this little life was completely saved. Farin Drameh’s family is also welcoming a new life full of hope.

El Haji during the recovery period of anal reconstruction surgery

El Haji family photo

 

 

Mission of Love

Since the establishment of the “Africa Cries Out” medical team in 2013, God’s great love has been like a precious rain. Every year (except for the difficult years of epidemics),we go in the jungle villages and Fatige leprosy villages in Senegal as scheduled to serve those who need help most.

In 2024 alone, “Africa Cries Out” medical team brought together more than 140 volunteers, including 39 medical specialists. In Senegal, they are like messengers of God, serving every one in need with kindness and professionalism. They have treated more than 2,000 medical patients and completed 19 complex operations, including difficult surgeries such as hysterectomy and uterine myomectomy. The dental team has treated more than 460 patients. In addition to medical provisions, other volunteers also donated more than 40 laptops, more than 10 mobile phones and 5 wheelchairs, bringing lights of hope of modern technology to the villagers.

In the high temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius), the “Africa Cries Out” medical team sat in an open truck and went to the jungle village to deliver medical care and food

 

A college student named Nathan Jiang, with a reverence for life, launched a fundraising campaign in the United States. He used the funds raised to purchase an ultrasound machine worth $12,000 for a local hospital in Senegal. This device is not just cold metal and circuits, but also a symbol of hope, which will brighten the lives of numerous obstetrics and gynecology patients.

Nathan Jiang donated gynecological ultrasound equipment to a local hospital in Senegal.

 

In addition, “Africa Cries Out” also supports two small hospitals in Senegal and founded a technical school, which has trained more than 200 graduates with various professional skills, sowing the seeds of hope for local medical and educational undertakings.

In the attached picture, we can see our student graduating in the technical school after one year, after which they have the opportunity to apply for professional licenses such as plumbers issued by the government. The school not only provides full tuition, but also covers the students’ accommodation and meals.

 

When people curiously ask the “Africa Cries Out” team: “Why do you do this?”

Our answer is: “Because of love!”

 

The registration for the “Africa Cries Out” Senegal medical short-term mission for March 2025 has recently ended. Nearly 100 volunteers have signed up for this short-term mission. “Africa Cries Out” thanks everyone for their strong support. Please ask all caring friends, brothers and sisters to continue helping “Africa Cries Out” by collecting second-hand mobile phones, computers, 90% new sports shoes, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, vitamins, toys, new toothpaste and toothbrushes and other supplies for the African people.

Requirements for mobile phone and computer donations:

Old mobile phones must clear the contents of the mobile phone and remove it from their own accounts (Factory Reset). In particular, Apple phones must be removed from the former owners’  iCloud accounts, otherwise they cannot be activated. Please also include the power charging coed and plug.

Computer donors need to back up their data and double check if there is sensitive data. If you request, we will remove the hard drive and return it to the donor. Apple computers also need to be removed from the iCloud account, otherwise they cannot be activated.

Laptop batteries need to be checked. Generally, the life of rechargeable batteries is about 500 times of charge and discharge, and they are almost dead after 3 or 4 years, so they need to be checked and replaced. If they cannot be replaced, please be sure to attach the power cord and plug.

If necessary, “Africa Cries Out” can issue relevant receipts for everyone.

After the materials are collected, please contact “Africa Cries Out” and we will provide you with the mailing address for the materials.

 

If you would like to financially support our African ministry, please write a check to Africa Cries Out and send it to Jun Xu, MD, 1171 E Putnam Avenue, Riverside, CT 06878, USA, and you will receive a tax-exempt receipt recognized by the US Internal Revenue Service.

 

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If you feel moved to support our ministry in Africa, please contact us：

 

Jun Xu’s WeChat: jun9174343767

电子邮件：Africacriesout@gmail.com

Public WeChat account: LifeExploring (人生天路)

Website: https://africacriesout.net

 

Editors in charge: Cao Juanjuan, Zhang Kun

Translator： Wei Peng

English editor: Xi Wang

Editor: Doris Cruz