New pictures from Buka
Help Alvin to the hospitalOrganized by Bjorn Stig Hansen |
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Diagnosis: Epidermolysis Bullosa
Alvin has been diagnosed with Epidermolysis Bullosa by a local doctor. Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is an inherited connective tissue disease causing blisters in the skin and mucosal membranes, with an incidence of 1/50,000. Its severity ranges from mild to lethal. It is caused by a mutation in the keratin or collagen gene. As a result, the skin is extremely fragile. Minor mechanical friction or trauma will separate the layers of the skin and form blisters. (from Wikipedia)
Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidermolysis_bullosa The dermatologist has not arrived in Buka yet, and he will no longer be needed, as Alvin has already been diagnosed. We will cancel his ticket and spend the funds on medication for Alvin and to get a skin sample send to a laboratory outside Bougainville, if possible. Victoria has mailed the picture below showing Alvin together with his parents at the hospital in Buka. Alvin at the hospital in Buka
 Almost there
This week Alvin and his father will be transported from the Carteret Islands to Buka on Bougainville to meet the dermatologist. A lack of fuel for the health boat, which transport sick people between the Carteret Islands and Buka, threatened to further delay the meeting, but Victoria managed to secure a drum of petrol in the last minute. It was donated to the project by Victoriaâ??s friend Kimai - a CEO on local level government. A big thanks to him. It finally looks as if the last piece of the puzzle has fallen into place.
Victoria will meet with Alvin, his father and the dermatologist at the hospital and send us an update on the doctorâ??s verdict on Alvinâ??s illness. Dr Barnabas Matano and Mark Wolfsbauer
 Tickets for Alvins dermatologist purchased
The picture above shows Mark handing an open flight ticket to Dr Barnabas Matano, director of medical services at Buka General Hospital. Dr Barnabas Matano is our contact for the dermatologist in Port Moresby and will arrange his visit to Buka. Mark arranged to have the dermatologist flown in from Port Moresby, as we did not collect enough funds to do fly Alvin and his father to Port Moresby. Instead they will be collected by a boat on their island and meet with the dermatologist in Buka on Bougainville. Flying the dermatologist to Buka also has the advantage that he will use the opportunity to help other people on Bougainville.
Mark has left Bougainville and Victoria Degerman, a friend of ours currently living Buka, will arrange Alvins travel from the islands to Buka and coordinate it with the dermatologists visit. Alvin in front of his beach hut
 About Alvin
Alvin is 14 years old and lives on Huene - an island the size of a football field on the Tulun Atoll in the South Pacific. His illness, which the local doctor has no way of treating, has made him loose his toes and fingers. His parents just recently built a new hut for him on the beach front to get him away from the ants that are eating the plaster from his open wounds. They have no way of sealing them, and although he is now out of reach of the ants, flies still fill up the worn bandages every day from early morning till late afternoon.
Alvin's family lives 80 km from the nearest neighbor. Their only means of transportation is a wooden canoe. For Alvin to get proper treatment he needs to be sailed to Bougainville and flown from there to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. Please help collect money to get Alvin transported to the hospital along with his mother by donating to the Alvin ChipIn on the right. Watch Alvin and read about the Tulun Atoll where he lives at www.bjornstighansen.com. |
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