Well, we've just started week 5 out of 6 weeks of plastic surgeries here in Guinea. I can't believe time is moving so quickly. We've performed 59 surgeries so far with only a few infections. Amen to that!!!  God is definitely at work in this place and has put together an amazing group of surgeons and nurses and day workers to make the best plastics team. I just want to share one of the many success stories I've been able to witness these past few weeks.

Fanta is 20 years old and when she was younger she got her ears pierced as most girls do. She got an infection from her piercing and ended up with keloids across her neck from ear to ear. A keloid is a growth of extra scar tissue where the skin has healed after an injury. The keloids grew quickly and soon she was unable to turn her head from side to side. We found her at one of our screenings and although we don't normally do this type of surgery everyone agreed she should be an exception. With a simple operation we were able to remove her keloids. With the operation alone though, she stands a 50%-100% chance of the keloids growing back (which is why we don't normally do this surgery). So, in a few weeks she'll receive corticosteroid injections to prevent the keloid return along with scar massages. Fanta is doing great right now and staying at our Hope Center in town awaiting her injections. I got to visit her over the weekend and she was all smiles!

Fanta after surgery

Before surgery