First Wildcard: Catherine's Gift

Catherine's Gift: Stories of Hope from the Hospital by the River is the inspiring story of a woman doctor who, along with her husband, started a hospital in Ethiopia for the treatment of fistulas--holes between the vagina and/or ureter and/or rectum caused by excessive strain during childbirth.  These fistulas, which are practically unknown in areas where modern obstetrical care is available, happen all too often in Ethiopia, where such care is often unavailable, and where girls' growth can be stunted due to famine.  Untreated, fistulas cause constant leakage of wastes.  Treating them is difficult; the province of a skilled surgeon--and in Ethiopia the problem is compounded by the lack of treatment once the fistula happens.

This book takes us into the lives of the woman treated at the hospital.  It speaks of how they came to the hospital, how they are treated, and what life holds for them after recovery.  It tells how surgery techniques were developed,but it isn't medical mumbo-jumbo.

I enjoyed the book and think  you will too.