Aisha's Life-changing Facial Surgery in Nigeria

Aisha is six years old and wants to be a teacher. When she was four years old, she got noma–an infection of the face that affects children, 90 percent of whom die within the first few weeks of developing symptoms. This neglected disease impacts people worldwide living in poverty without adequate access to health care. Aisha's cheek started swelling and some of her teeth fell out. She was taken to a hospital near her home in northern Nigeria, but the treatment did not work. Quickly the flesh and bones in her face were destroyed and a hole appeared.

Her twin brother was protective and supportive, but the children laughed at her, so Aisha stopped going out. One day a local person visited the family and took Aisha and her mother, Hauwa, on the 12-hour drive to Sokoto Noma Hospital, which is supported by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Finally, Aisha had reconstructive surgery to repair the hole in her face. She also found the hospital to be a place where she felt safe and could find companionship. Now, Aisha is counting the days until she can go to school.

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Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières helps people worldwide where the need is greatest, delivering emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health care. Learn more at https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org

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