In October 2010, the UK Board of Trustees had the honour of welcoming
the new Stoma nurse, Tigist Debebe, for a brief visit to Birmingham.
Tigist replaces Ruth Gaddesa who was the stoma nurse for many years at
the hospital in Addis Ababa. Sister Ruth has now returned to the
operating theatre to continue her work there. Some previous
patients were trained as aides by Ruth so that they could assist both
her and the new nurse, Tigist.
Stomas are put in place when a fistula patient can not
be completely cured and is still wet. A stoma is the opening on
the abdomen to which the urostomy bag or colostomy bag is attached. It is an area requiring skill, understanding
and compassion.
Tigist attended a training course in Hollister,
Ireland to improve her skills. After the course, she visited the
Trustees in Birmingham and had three very enjoyable days. One of
the Trustees was fortunate to be able to take her to a "day at the
Cheltenham races", which was something Tigist would never have
encountered before. She had a marvellous time and enjoyed every
minute. You can see her here in the photo below snapping away with
her camera. Needless to say, she made a very favourable impression
with her stunning Ethiopian dress and traditional hairstyle. |
