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Care in the jungle

After months of an untreated infectious wound on her leg, a young girl called Masha was at risk of losing her limb – then MAF stepped in to help.

Can you imagine living with an infected open wound on your right leg for several months?

Welcome to 12-year-old Masha’s story, a small girl living in a corner of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo with no access to healthcare. Her wound had become infected right down to the bone and if left untreated any longer, she would lose her leg.

Thankfully, MAF was there to fly her to the large hospital in Vanga just in time.

MAF regularly flies to the village of Vanga, where there is a large 500-bed teaching hospital supporting the local communities.

Through MAF, the hospital can receive shipments of medical supplies and patients, and now has an internet connection thanks to the installation of a V-Sat dish, and can communicate with specialists around the world to give their patients the best treatment possible – thus saving lives.

Through the internet connection at the hospital, the Congolese and American doctors attending Masha could forward her leg x-rays to an orthopaedic specialist in America to give her the best possible chance of saving her leg – which they ultimately did.

God is using both the aircraft and the Internet to save the lives of those who would otherwise have no access to the healthcare and specialist treatment they need. Through MAF on this one occasion, a little girl has a chance to live a full, happy life with both feet, along with many more success stories!

X-ray examination at Vanga Hospital, DRC