From our partners at ReSurge International…
Have you ever sprained a wrist or jammed a couple of fingers in a door?  If so, remember how painful it was to try and use that hand?  Actually, it was pretty impossible. Our hands are vital tools we all use every day.  In developing countries, the use of hands is most crucial because the majority of the people work on farms, in mines and in factories where their hands are their tools.
To lose the use of their hands because of birth defects or burns that cause severe scaring means losing the ability to earn, to contribute to the family and village. Over the past four decades, ReSurge International has performed thousands of reconstructive surgeries to restore hand function. More than half of ReSurge’s burn patients seek care for hand injuries.
Nearly 500 children and adults have their hand function restored and their lives transformed each year. It is among the most important surgical procedures that can be offered in the developing world, as it renews one’s ability to provide for one’s self and family.
Four-year-old Nguyen was born with three of his fingers fused on each hand, a congenital birth defect that—left uncorrected—will hinder his schooling as well as his ability to make a living when he’s grown. Thanks to ReSurge International, he’s had the first of four surgeries that will restore full use of his hands, and allow him to be a fully functioning member of society. Nguyen is lucky to live not too far from Cao Lanh, Vietnam, an area that ReSurge visits regularly—so he should be able to receive the surgical restoration he needs to renew his family’s hope that he will be able to go to school and have a happy normal life.
ReSurge also treats patients who need other types of reconstructive surgery–for other malformations like ptosis which can lead to blindness, and other injuries, which are often work-related due to poor conditions in factories in developing countries.
Barco’s Nightingales Foundation is proud to help sponsor the work ReSurge International performs around the world. Please help us continue this support by donating today.