Surgical Success Stories - #421-430!

Demekech (no photo available) is widowed, has eight children and, like many of the patients, she only had her prolapse for a year but it had become quite severe. She had a successful surgery and has returned home!

Mengiste was sent to the hospital from her church. She is married and has delivered ten children, eight of them are still living. She has suffered from severe prolapse for two years but is now recovering well and very happy! Thank you for making this happen.

Birhanesh says that she is 55 (probably more likely her mid 60s) and was pregnant 12 (yes, 12) times, has given birth to 10 children with eight still being alive. After a year of dealing with her prolapse she is now leaving a new woman!

Lantore is 60 year old, married and had eight children, five of whom are still alive. She’s had her prolapse for the past eight years. Her surgery was challenging but the end result was good and she’s prolapse free!

Batiru is from a village 100 km away from the hospital but because of its remote location and tribal violence, it took her two days to travel. Her son, one of her seven children, brought her. She’s widowed and lives with one of her children. Her surgery went very smoothly!

Mebrat is only 35 years old but had developed very severe prolapse over the last year after giving birth to four children. She’s married and they were both in agreement that it was time to fix her prolapse and to thank God for the children that He had blessed them with. Her surgery took quite some time but went very smoothly and she’s now recovering very well.

Amarech is at least 50 years old. She’s married and she and her husband enjoy the six living children that they have. She’s so grateful for this great gift that she was able to receive today.

Ayelech is 50 years old, widowed and was brought in by her oldest son, who is one of three of her living children after giving birth to seven. She’s faced a daily struggle for the last three years but is now free of prolapse. She has returned home a new and changed woman.

Askele is married with three living children after giving birth to seven. Her surgery went well and she’ll has been able to return to her family.

Amale is 50 years old, widowed and had very severe prolapse until her surgery. She has given birth to seven children and six have survived. She has returned to her village with a new lease on life.

Surgical Success Stories - #411-420!

Alane is 48 and widowed with five children after losing two others. Her prolapse had been present for four years. She’s been resting today and recovering well after her surgery.

Banche is also 48 and has been pregnant 10 times but only has two living children. She’s widowed and has been suffering for five years. She’s now prolapse free and will be returning home a new woman.

Talagore is 54 and separated from her husband. She has three living children after giving birth to three others as well. Her surgery went extremely well!

Meselech came to the hospital with a six year history of suffering from her prolapse. She’s married and has delivered five children with another having died early in childhood. She will be returning home a new woman.

Workinesh is 50 years old and married. She has given birth to five children and they are all still alive and doing well. Her prolapse had been going on for three years but she is now prolapse free and recovering nicely.

Neyime is 75 (one of the oldest patients that we know of) and her husband is still alive. She has had ten children, ALL of whom are still alive! She’s had her prolapse for three years and is so happy to be prolapse free.

Abaynesh is 45, widowed and has five living children after another passed away some time ago. She’s had her prolapse for the past two years and is recovering after having a very successful surgery.

Embulu is 50 years old, widowed and has given birth to six children. She first noticed her prolapse three years ago but it is now a thing of the past as she rests and recovers.

Biranesh is widowed and has given birth to six children but only five have survived. She’s suffered from her prolapse over the last three years but is now prolapse free! Her surgery went very smoothly and she’s now recovering.

Aynate says she’s 45 but is more likely in her mid to late 50’s. She’s suffered from her prolapse over the last year and is now prolapse free. She’s now widowed and has four children. She will travel home after her recovery next a changed woman!

Surgical Success Stories - #401-410!

Ayelech is 45 and widowed. She has four children and her prolapse had been a problem for the past three years but is now a thing of the past!

Terunesh has delivered six children, five of whom are still living. She had suffered from prolapse for four years and now she is doing very well and is so grateful… even if the doctors couldn’t get a smile captured for her photo!

Asnakech, who has a great smile in spite of losing her husband last month, has suffered from prolapse for the past three years. She underwent her surgery and did very well.

Thank you so very much for helping her have joy.

Mulenesh underwent her 4th degree prolapse surgery after suffering with a severe prolapse for the past three years.. She is a widow and had been pregnant 11 times delivering 10 children, seven of whom are still living. Thank you so very much for your contributions and helping treat women like Mulenesh.

Meet Ukume who is married and has delivered 11 children, eight of which are still living. She has suffered from prolapse for two and a half years. She is so grateful to be done with this condition!

Tadelech is married and has delivered seven children, five of whom are living. She is also very grateful no longer to have this problem as she has had prolapse for one year.

Terefech is married and she has delivered four children; three of them are still living. She has suffered from severe prolapse for greater than three years and is now free of it!

Minase is a widow who has delivered six children, all of whom are living. She had terrible prolapse but now has a new lease on life. Thank you!

Ayelech is married and has 7 children. She’s 42 years old and has only had her prolapse for four months and did a great job in coming in to see the doctors quickly, therefore her prolapse wasn’t as severe as some of the others.

Bekelech is widowed and has three living children after giving birth to five. Her prolapse had been present for four years. But, she is now prolapse free and recovering nicely.

Surgical Success Stories - CELEBRATING #400!

Dinkinesh is 50 years old and it is our honour to say that she is the 400th woman to have her prolapse surgery sponsored by Mothers With a Heart for Ethiopia! She and her husband have eight children and her prolapse had been troubling her for the past eight years. Appropriately, she is definitely one of the most colourfully dressed patients that the doctors have treated in a while!

Surgical Success Stories - #390-399!

Adalech said that she had noticed her prolapse for only three months but it had become quite severe. She’s 45 years of age, married, and has six living children after giving birth to seven. Her surgery went well and has now been able to return to her family.

Askale is a precious woman from who came in with her husband. They have five children together and three of them are still alive. She had been having difficulty with her prolapse over the past five years and now she wakes up prolapse free for the first time in a long time!

Bintile is 50 years old and was accompanied by her husband who helped her raise their three children after two others died earlier in life. She first noticed her prolapse five months before seeing the doctors and it had not yet become severe. It’s always easier for us to correct a smaller problem rather than a bigger one. Her surgery went well and she’s now recovering at home.

Zenabech is only 30 years old and her prolapse was quite severe - it had started about three years ago. She is married and has given birth to four children, three of them have survived. Her surgery ended well and she’s now recovering.

Asheke is 45 years old and widowed. Her prolapse had been going on for about a year after having given birth to seven children, six of whom are still alive. Her surgery went well also and is thankful to be free of her prolapse!

Tereza is 46 years old and from Bucamma. She’s still married but estranged from her husband. She has had eight children and they are all still alive, thankfully! She had suffered from her propose for only one year but it had become quite severe. Thank you for helping Tereza!

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Ukume Maze is 65, widowed and has given birth to 11 children (yes - 11 children!) and nine of them are still alive. Her prolapse had been going on for six years and was also quite severe. She is now free from prolapse thanks to our donors and the great work of the doctors and staff!

Marta Folla is 40 years old and is married with five children. She’s been struggling with her prolapse over the last six years and is now prolapse free and recovering at home.

Getare is 65 years old and is widowed. She has five children and she had been experiencing her prolapse for six years. Her prolapse, however, was quite severe and required a much different surgery. It went smoothly and she is now recovering at home.

Almaz is 40 years old and married. She has had seven children and six are still living. Her prolapse had become quite severe over the last four years but she is now prolapse free and recovering nicely. Thank you!

Surgical Success Stories - Eshale, Lamote & Amarech! (#387-389)

Eshale is a 55-year-old widow who has given birth to five children. She’s been suffering for the past 10 years with some very severe prolapse but she is now healed and prolapse free!

Lamote is 60 years old. She’s widowed and has given birth to eight children, six of whom are still alive. She’s has also had her prolapse for the past 10 years! Her surgery went well and is now at home. Thank you for making such a difference in her life!

Amarech has been dealing with her prolapse for about a year and partly because of it her husband has left her. She lives with her five children. Her surgery was challenging but the end result was worth it. She’s now recovered and back at home.

Gems & Java 2021: From emcee to party host

With a big, in-person fundraiser still not in the cards for 2021, we shifted our Gems & Java strategy. This year we’re focusing on Gems & Java Home Parties! We’re introducing you to some of the people who have already embraced this great opportunity to share our brand-new virtual program with their loved ones as part of Gems & Java Home Edition 2021.

Liz Wismer-Van Meer is looking forward to enjoying Gems & Java Home Edition with friends and family.

Most years she has been so busy helping with the event, she hasn’t had the chance to experience Gems & Java as the viewing audience can. Every year without fail, Liz is on the frontlines, whether she’s running the silent auction or emceeing the entire fundraiser!

This year, she’s pretty excited about snuggling in with her friends and family as they eat yummy snacks, sip some drinks, and listen to the stories from Gems & Java Home Edition.

She knows when our founder Shelley Green delivers her message, hearts will be moved.

Liz is hoping some of her guests will be inspired to support one of the amazing programs they learn about during the presentation, or become enticed to participate in the amazing online silent auction. She's all set to share the link to the auction with anyone looking for an amazing item up for grabs!

If you’re unsure about host a party, she says, “just go for it!” It doesn’t have to be fancy if that’s not your thing. After all, it’s just you and your peeps, so ‘you do you.’ However, if you are one of those hosts who might offer a variety of hors d'oeuvres, desserts and sangria, Liz just might come to your party herself!

“The best part of the Gems & Java Home Edition is you can enjoy the program however you would like, with whoever you would like, all the while supporting the projects and work of Mothers With A Heart For Ethiopia. It truly is a win-win!”

Gems & Java 2021: Swapping popcorn for purses

With a big, in-person fundraiser still not in the cards for 2021, we shifted our Gems & Java strategy. This year we’re focusing on Gems & Java Home Parties! We can't wait to introduce you to some of the people who have already embraced this great opportunity to share our brand-new virtual program with their loved ones as part of Gems & Java Home Edition 2021.

Tracy Brooks knows that Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia does important work.

Tracy Brooks with her son. Both are big fans of Gems & Java!

That’s why she has been so inspired by the innovative and creative ways the organization has continued that work through the challenges of a pandemic. As a volunteer for our flagship fundraiser, Gems & Java, Tracy often stood amazed at what a group of motivated people could pull off with many hands and huge hearts. She was also impressed by the environmentally responsible idea of reusing gently used items to honour Mother Earth and deflect items from landfills.

Tracy is planning to stick mostly with family for her Gems & Java Home Party this year. She loves having people over, especially when those people appreciate her cozy chaos and keep-it-simple strategies. She is fully confident everyone in her family group will enjoy the professional-looking and informative virtual presentation that Mothers with a Heart will provide. After all, one of her claims to fame is having one of the few male attendees at the traditional, big in-person Gems & Java — her teenage son!

While purses and jewelry may not be all that effective in attracting men to the cause, she is pretty excited to use the Gems & Java Home Party format to expose more men to this great opportunity to help others. What they will find are meaningful, culturally-sensitive programs lifting up women and children in Ethiopia with on-the-ground support. Popcorn instead of purses — why not?!

Gems & Java 2021: A home party with heart

With a big, in-person fundraiser still not in the cards for 2021, we shifted our Gems & Java strategy. This year we’re focusing on Gems & Java Home Parties! We can't wait to introduce you to some of the people who have already embraced this great opportunity to share our brand-new virtual program with your loved ones as part of Gems & Java Home Edition 2021.

Longtime volunteer (and Gems & Java fan) Heather McKinnon jumped at the chance to bring the fun, food and fundraising into her own home.

She plans to give her Gems & Java Home Party event a personal twist. With the help of Pinterest, and a “HEART” theme, she's planning a party with a candy bar, yummy snacks, maybe a bit of wine, and a house full of friends ready to laugh, learn and give.

Heather has attended Gems & Java and volunteered for Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia for years. She has watched with a full heart as people at the in-person event are touched by the work done by our organization in support of women and children living in poverty. With the needs continuing to grow, Heather has a compassionate desire to help out.

She knows that Ethiopia has suffered through the pandemic, and Canadians have the ability to share our blessings and good fortune to help those living without the same advantages. It feels so good to do good, and who doesn’t need a little more good in their day during these challenging times? She is also pretty excited about the possibility of some of men in our lives feeling more comfortable to learn about the work Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia does through Gems & Java Home Parties. Who wouldn't want to join a small, intimate party, full of laughter and sharing, with a theme of giving? It sounds like a great time for just about anyone.

Thanks so much, Heather, for your enthusiasm and willingness to help Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia raise funds that are changing lives in so many ways!

Surgical Success Stories - Dakíte & Abebech! (#385-386)

Dakíte is a widow who has delivered six children and all are living! She had her prolapse for two years and is so very excited that she it has been repaired!

Abebech is also widowed and lives with one of her three surviving children. She has been pregnant seven times and said that she’d only been experiencing her prolapse for three months. However, it was quite severe and was more consistent with someone who has had years of prolapse. Her surgery went well and she is now prolapse free.