Ghanan boy, 3, recovering after serious operation

A THREE-YEAR-OLD Ghanan boy has had his lifesaving surgery to repair the hole in his abdominal wall and is now recovering on an intensive therapy unit (ITU).

Ethan Suglo was born with an exomphalos, meaning when he was born his gastric organs were outside of his body.

Without the operation, Ethan would have been unlikely to live past the age of five.

Dr David Williams, a GP in Shipston, met Ethan and his family whilst visiting his daughter Laura, who spent a year volunteering in Ghana, teaching with Project Trust.

The family, including Laura’s mum and David’s wife Dr Jacquie Williams, from Stretton-on-Fosse, have been supported by charity Willing and Abel, which organises life-changing surgery for children from the developing world.

Thanks to a generous offer by Hugh Grant, a paediatric surgeon from Oxford, Ethan and his father Charles arrived in England in June, and have been stopping with the Williams family.

Due to Ethan having a chest infection, his surgery was delayed for a month, but the operation was carried out on Wednesday 13th July.

Jacquie, who is a GP in Chipping Campden, said: “All has gone well and Ethan is back on ITU.

“Mr Grant was happy with how things went and hopes Ethan’s tummy will gradually recede under the mesh over the next few weeks. Charles is being amazing and exhausted but still smiling.”

She continued: “Please continue to pray for the team at Oxford, the Suglo family and especially Ethan who we’ve all fallen in love with so much.

“He had us all chortling wiggling his tummy about saying ‘Bye bye tummy’.”

Additionally, David, Jeremy Wiggin, an adventurer and survival expert, and Simon Miesegaes, treasurer at Honington All Saints Church and RAF Reservist, walked and canoed from the source of the River Stour, at Wigginton Heath, to the point where it joins the River Avon just south of Stratford, in June.

They raised £18,000 for Willing and Abel, and Shipston Home Nursing, where the trio are trustees.

Jacquie walked Hadrian’s Wall for Ethan and Campden Home Nursing, along with Dr Debbie Morgan who is a GP at Shipston. They were too were raising money for Shipston Home Nursing and Willing and Abel.