Imagine living in an African country with few medical resources, and suffering from unbelievable pain due to a worsening kidney problem….knowing that there is a more sophisticated world out there that could help you--and you’re only 16.
Like so many people who have come to this land, for Moro Addy, America has become more than just the clichés of freedom and second chances and hope.
He’s experiencing them and more because of the kindness and compassion of total strangers.
He has a contagious smile and a quiet warmth about him. But in his short 16 years of life living in sub-Saharan Africa, Moro Addy hasn’t had it easy.
And now, Moro is facing a new challenge.
His kidney is being strangled by it’s own artery, which takes an unusual pathway over the organ, and compressing outflow.
Dr. Michael Palese, urologist at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, says, “On the left hand side you can see this dark looking area over here, that’s his blown out kidney or what’s called the obstruction. What can happen is that urine can back up the kidney could fail and the worst case scenario is that he ends up with an infection and abscess.”
And that can lead to death if untreated.
Moro had to go to the hospital frequently immobilized with discomfort. “He said he had a lot of pain and then he looked very sad and he said please help me if you leave no one will help me,” says Monica Westin, President and Founder of world of hope international, which does charity work in Moro’s village in Ghana.
There used to be ten urologists for twenty million people in Ghana, but in august, the top three died in a car accident.
The surgery itself was technically difficult and hard for them to perform regardless.
Moro would be put on a waiting list, likely to never get the surgery he needs.
“He is an exceptional young man and he has also helped us a lot with the whole program in Ghana,” says Monica.
So, she sought help for Moro here in the U.S.
“I could have lost my kidney that’s what the doctors say in Ghana…but i know you help me here in America,” says Monica.
Dr. Michael Palese, a urologist at Mt. Sinai medical center in New York, agreed to take the case.
Between him and the hospital, we’re talking thousands of dollars of donated medical care.
“It’s a miracle I’m speechless I don’t know what to say,” says Monica.
“Can you imagine what it would be to live without pain?--I would be happy,” says Moro.
On Wednesday, Moro had his surgery--the highest tech surgery anyone could get--using the DaVinci robot and laparascopes through tiny incisions so Moro could heal more quickly.
“So I actually changed it so that instead of the vessels being on top of the ureter and on top of the kidney so that they are below so they won’t cause an obstruction anymore,” says Dr. Palese. “When you work in this field you find out about all this goodness. It’s going to change his life,” says Monica.
Now, Moro sees America from the same viewpoint so many of our ancestors had when they too first saw New York harbor.
When asked while visiting the Statue of Liberty what she means to him, he replied, “Freedom. I think I want to stay forever.”
The surgeons expect Moro to make a full recovery.
