CLIMBING MT. KENYA
TO SAVE MOMS & BABIES

Help me reach the summit of Mt. Kenya 16,355 ft. Oct 20th-24th and save the lives of African moms and babies!

Click  here  and choose" OB Residency Scholarship Fund" and 

choose 'dedicate this donation" and "In Honor of Caroline Hedges"

 

I’m joining a team of physicians raising funds to start the first Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PACCS) OB/GYN Residency training program at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya, East Africa in 2022. Please consider a donation to help train African OB/GYN doctors to care for African women.

 

My story: I first climbed Mt Kenya while studying abroad in 1998, and then Jeremy and I volunteered at Tenwek Hospital a busy rural, mission teaching hospital in 2009-2010.  While there, I worked in the OB/GYN department, seeing first-hand how desperate the need is for OB/GYNs in African communities.  When I was there, it was a bare bones department with only one (very tired) OB/GYN (Tenwek served a referral area of 11 million people at that time) working hard to provide care and teach Kenyan medical students. 

I firmly believe that the way to meet the healthcare needs in Africa includes

residency training for African physicians. This is why we chose to volunteer there in 2009.

Tenwek has been training residents in other specialties for years, but it was only in my

wildest dreams that some day there would be the opportunity for residents to train in Obstetrics and Gynecology!! 

I'm SO excited about this program and am thrilled to participate in this fundraiser to help make it happen! In addition to the fundraising climb, I will also be staying to volunteer at Tenwek to support the OB/GYN department (this is self-funded; all fundraising is for the residency program).

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The Situation: African women are 21 times more likely to die in childbirth than American moms. Lack of prenatal care and emergency obstetric care for labor and delivery contributes to a high infant morality rate and high maternal mortality rate. The “Day of Delivery” is still the most dangerous day in the lives of mothers and babies. And it's not just pregnant patients who need care.

Cervical cancer is totally preventable, yet still many Kenyan women die from this terrible cancer because of a lack of pap smear screening and treatment. And there are so many other women's health issues that need OB/GYNs.

There aren't enough healthcare workers to provide the care that these women and their babies need.  Opportunity for Kenyan physicians to obtain specialty training is very sparse, and the need for physicians dedicated to women's health is great. 

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Tenwek Hospital and staff have provided an answer to this problem by growing the OB/GYN department and beginning an OB/GYN residency program!  

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I'm asking for your help: Here is how YOU can make a difference! Your gifts empower the OB/GYN physicians and staff at Tenwek to train physicians in our specialty, house and mentor them, and nurture their commitment to service.   They care for and empower the whole person in each resident--emotionally, spiritually, physically, professionally, and intellectually.  These trainees commit to working at least four years at a hospital serving the poor in Africa.   

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Your gift literally saves lives. 

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Even using modest projections, over the course of their careers,

these 40 OB/GYN Residents will save 1,168,000 lives! 

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My goal is to raise $16,355-a dollar for each foot of elevation of Mt Kenya. The first class of residents starts in January 2022, and it costs $25k per year to train a resident, so we need your help get us to the summit of this goal!

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Will you please consider giving to support this important, life-saving work? 

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It's easy to give!  Look on my Linktree for the **DONATE HERE** link (press "back" on your browser to return to this page).  After the form opens, be sure to click "OB Residency Scholarship Fund" and flag the donation “In Honor of" Caroline Hedges".  This is a tax-deductible gift. 

 

For more info on the Tenwek OB/GYN program, go to https://friendsoftenwek.org/medical-specialties/ob-gyn/

and see the Linktree site for more videos if you would like to learn more.

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Thank you for considering supporting this incredible program--I am grateful.

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Photos below from my time at Tenwek 2009-2010 and a current picture of morning teaching rounds