Stephanie Linus Daily

Tag: SNEPCo/NNPC

NNPC/SNEPCo Partners With Extended Hands Foundation To Bring Free Medical Surgery To Women Suffering From Obstetric Fistula In Sokoto

The Extended Hands Foundation, a non-profit organisation that I formed some years ago, with sponsorship from NNPC/SNEPCo recently gave free medical surgeries to 25 women living with Fistula in Sokoto state. I’m so grateful to NNPC/SNEPCo and the team of Doctors and Nurses who made this pool effort possible.

Below is an official press release from the exercise.

A total of 25 women formerly living with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) have received free repair surgeries, giving them a chance to live normal lives again. This life-changing event was carried out courtesy of a recent Extended Hands Foundation’s pool effort in Sokoto state sponsored by NNPC/SNEPCo.

Since its inception, the goal of the Extended Hands Foundation founded by star actress and producer Stephanie Linus, has been to restore hope and put smiles on the faces of women. For some years now, the foundation has been focused on helping women with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) – a serious disability that can be experienced by women after childbirth – and giving them a chance at living normal lives through free repair surgeries.

With a generous sponsorship from NNPC/SNEPCo, the foundation completed the successful repair of 25 Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) patients at the Maryam Abacha Woman and Children (VVF Hospital) Sultan Bello Rd, Sokoto. All the repairs have been completed successfully and the women are recovering well.

The team of medical staff was led by Dr Sa’ad Idris, a seasoned VVF Surgeon and former Commissioner for Health in Zamfara State with over 20 years experience in the field. He was assisted by Dr Halima Bello a VVF surgeon, Chief Medical Director Dr Lawal Bello, Chief Matron Hamsai Abdullahi Wisso, and other doctors and nurses at the VVF Center.

As noted by the medical team, most of the women who were repaired had very complex cases of fistula resulting from botched surgeries carried out on them by inexperienced doctors. Some of the women had damaged wombs and tubes which caused a continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault. These women had been living with this condition for a varying number of years and finally got dry after the surgeries.

Against the backdrop of her Child Bride and Fistula advocacy movie, DRY, Stephanie Linus has been taking the message of restoration and hope to real women suffering from VVF. This pool effort goes a long way to show that DRY is more than just a movie, but a tool for touching the lives of women actually living with this condition.

PHOTOS:

November 28, 2018
50 Women with VVF Get Free Repair Surgeries from SNEPCo/NNPC & Extended Hands Foundation

A total of 50 women formerly suffering from the deeply embarrassing consequences of Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) have been given a chance to live normal lives again. This tremendous change was brought about a recent Extended Hands Foundation’s Pool effort in Kebbi state sponsored by SNEPCo/NNPC.

Since its inception, the goal of the Extended Hands Foundation which I founded has been to restore hope and put smiles on the faces of women. The women had the repair surgeries done at no cost to them and their families.

The exercise which was carried out at the Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Development VVF Center in Gesse, Birin-Kebbi was a successful one as the women all had successful surgeries and were nursed back to health at the hospital. Before the surgeries, many of them had been shunned and separated from their families as a result of the embarrassing effects of the condition. Some of them lost their jobs, their husbands, and were forced to live in degrading conditions. Thanks to the successful surgeries, they are now back with their loved ones and are living their dreams.

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 project was headed by the Chief Surgeon – Dr Sa’ad Idris, a seasoned VVF Surgeon with over 20 years experience in the field. He was assisted by Dr Halima Bello, a Consultant and other doctors and nurses at the VVF Center.

Against the backdrop of DRY, we are taking the message of restoration and hope to real women suffering from VVF. This pool effort goes a long way to show that DRY is more than just a movie, but a tool for touching the lives of women actually living with this condition.

Here are some photos:

April 13, 2016
Watch Akinwunmmi Anu’s Inspiring VVF Repair Story

Yesterday, I shared with you photos from the recent Extended Hands Foundation pool effort in Ibadan and I was overwhelmed with your kind words and feedback. You really touched my heart in so many beautiful ways and I’m so grateful for all your prayers.

As it is with most of our pool effort, stories of a few of the affected women stand out from the rest. Not that any woman’s story is less important, but I was so touched by Akinwunmi Anu.

She is a young lady who developed Vesico Vaginal Fistula after labouring for three days at home since 2009. She later had a Cesarean Section but had complications afterwards. For 5 years, she suffered shame and discrimination as her friends and family ran away from her as she couldn’t control her urine and was constantly leaking.

As a result of the complication, she also stopped seeing her menstrual period. This troubled her for many years until recently when she had a successful surgery during the pool effort. This was made possible with the support of SNEPCo/NNPC.

I’m so glad we could bring a smile to her face once again. She had such a warm spirit and a beautiful smile for us all. Her satisfaction and restoration is what inspires us at Extended Hands Foundation.

Watch her inspiring story:

November 5, 2014
Photos From The Extended Hands Foundation Pool Effort at UCH Ibadan

For many years, I have been passionate about helping women who sadly have a condition called Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF).

This passion led me to form the Extended Hands Foundation, a charity organisation which has been dedicated to raising awareness about this condition and helping women already affected.

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.

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.

I am so grateful to our sponsors for the support, to all the kind and hardworking doctors and nurses at the hospital and to my entire team from Extended Hands Foundation. God bless you all!

Photos:

Me and my wonderful Extended Hands Crew.

The equipment we donated to the hospital

November 4, 2014
DRY: More Than Just A Movie

Several years ago, as an undergraduate at the University of Calabar, I heard about some young girls who had been forced into early marriage and were suffering the negative and embarrassing effects of Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF). Little did I know then that the desire to help those girls and also spread the awareness on the dangers of the condition would linger with me and turn into a burning passion.

Years later, I embarked on a journey of research and visits to several hospitals and VVF centers both within and outside Nigeria to interact with girls and women suffering from the condition and doctors who took care of them. I also partnered with NGOs in other African countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone.

These visits, interactions and research conducted over some years provided the blueprint for the script of my soon to be released movie called ‘DRY’ which I directed and acted in. (more…)

February 7, 2014