Our entire team is here to support the surgical work that is being done by our amazing team of 3 plastic surgeons. Dr. Stan Valnicek from Kelowna is the surgical team leader, and a veteran of several charitable missions.
Lead surgeon Dr. Stan Valnicek with patient.
His calm and experienced approach to working in this less-than-ideal situation is an inspiration to all.
Dr. Adil Ladak (left) and Dr. David Williamson meet with patient post-op.
Stan is joined on this mission by Dr. David Williamson, also from Kelowna, and Dr. Adil Ladak who currently practices in Edmonton. Adel was on the previous mission with Stan in 2014, and this is David’s first experience of this type.
Drs. Ladak and Williamson during surgery to release a contracture in the right hand of the same patient Dr. Valnicek was meeting in the picture above.
The focus of this mission is of course both to operate on patients who may never otherwise have the opportunity to receive the medical care they need, and to create a sustainable improvement in general surgical health care in Ethiopia.
David, Stan & Adil at the Royal Palaces in Gondar.
There is one “burn center” in Addis Ababa, led by Dr. Einar Ericson who was with us in Bahir Dar for the first day of Surgery (Tuesday 5 April), and it is hoped that with training and collaboration of both the Addis Burn Center and the Restor-Rotary team of surgeons that a second Ethiopian center can be established.
The 3 team surgeons pose in front of a 500+ year-old ficus tree.
– Peter Schultz & Dina Kotler