Stephanie Linus Helps 20 Women Get VVF Surgeries Through Her Charity Foundation

Stephanie Linus and her Extended Hands Charity Foundation's recently held a successful charity effort in Ibadan. The foundation with the support of SNEPCo/NNPC recently carried out free repair surgeries on 20 women who had been suffering from Vesico Vaginal Fistula.

In an effort to spread the word on the dangers of Vesico Vaginal Fistula and to repair as many women as possible who have the condition, the Extended Hands Foundation with support from SNEPCo/NNPC recently carried out repair surgeries on 20 women at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

The pool effort was done to bring hope and restoration to the women who had been living with this condition for varying period of time. The women had the repair surgeries done at no cost to them and their families.

Below is the personal story of one of the beneficiaries.

Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) is a serious disability that can be experienced by women after childbirth. They are holes resulting from the breakdown in the tissue between the vaginal wall and the bladder or rectum caused by unrelieved obstructed labour. The consequence of such damage is a woman’s inability to control the flow of urine or faeces. It occurs more often in young women during childbirth, as their bodies are not yet mature for the process.

The exercise which kicked off in June was a very successful one. The team of doctors carried out repair surgeries on 20 women whose lives had been adversely affected by this condition and it was so heart warming to restore hope and a chance at living normal lives to these women.

Aside from the surgeries, the foundation also donated surgical equipment and electrical supplies which was presented to the hospital at an event which took place at the hospital. In attendance was the Chief Medical Director of UCH Ibadan, Professor Temitope Alonge; Head of Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Professor Ayo Arowojodu and the Chief Medical Consultant, Department of Genitourinary & Urogynaecology Professor O. A. Ojengbede.