John's father wears a smile while presenting a chicken to FAME as a gesture of gratitude for saving his child's life.

John when he first arrived at FAME, malnourished and dehydrated

John and his mother share a laugh

John's mom and dad smile as they hold their son in FAME's Inpatient ward. They are relieved knowing that he will be okay!

It's always heartwarming when we experience miracles at FAME—instances where the challenge seemed impossible to overcome, where our entire team comes together and succeeds in achieving a positive outcome for the patient through their commitment, hard work and collective skills.

This holiday season, we wanted to share a FAME miracle with you. A story of a three-month-old baby who arrived severely dehydrated and malnourished from a congenital abnormality. Our dedicated FAME team put in round-the-clock efforts to ensure the baby's survival. To express his thanks to the team, the baby's father gave FAME a chicken!

Originating from Loliondo, located 160 miles from FAME, John's* family noticed frequent vomiting when he was only one month old.

“At first, I didn't pay much attention to the vomiting, thinking it was just part of the learning process as he was still getting used to breastfeeding. However, when the vomiting persisted for the next two months and his stomach began to swell, we became concerned and decided to bring him to FAME.” - John’s mother

At FAME, following thorough examinations, John was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis, a condition where the passage between the stomach and small intestine narrows, making it difficult for food to pass through. It often causes severe vomiting in babies and typically requires surgical intervention for correction. If performed early, these surgeries are usually uncomplicated. Unfortunately, John had gone so long without nutrition and was very sick on arrival to FAME. This is the story of John's resilience and survival.

“When the doctors told us that he needed surgery, we were scared but held onto the hope that it would cure him. He had lost so much weight as he couldn't keep any food down and he was very, very small despite being born full-term at 9 lbs. I even wondered how the doctor would be able to perform surgery on such a tiny body. However, they successfully performed the surgery and everything seemed fine, but then he fell ill again.” - John’s mother

Unfortunately, after minimal nutrition for the first few months of his life, John’s stomach and gut were quite fragile following surgery. About a week after the first surgery, he took a turn for the worse and the FAME team approached his parents about a second surgery to save his life. His parents were distraught. They turned to a FAME nurse from their own community who spoke their mother tongue and encouraged them to consent to the surgery.

“We are thankful for everything FAME has done for our son. The entire team worked so hard to make sure he stayed alive. Many times during all this, I believed that John could not make it, but the doctors continued to give me hope. Now, he’s getting better, smiling and feeding well, which makes me very happy! I thank God. This has truly been a miracle.”

— John’s Mother

“This is a perfect example of teamwork and collaboration at FAME. The baby is alive because of the efforts of the surgeon, radiology team, anesthesia team, social workers, nurses in both surgical and medical wards and the medical team. Even though he arrived very sick and his parents were losing hope, we all believed this baby could survive with the right care.”

— FAME Pediatrician, Dr. Elissa Zirinsky

Editors Note: The FAME team is committed to caring for every patient that comes through the FAME gates. The work never stops, and miracles happen here every day. We want to express our gratitude for your unwavering support for our work. You make it all possible! Asante sana!

*The patient’s name has been changed to protect their privacy and permission was secured to share their story. This interview has been translated from Swahili to English.

Sana’s Son

Sana and his son

Sana (left), his son (middle) and Dr. Elissa (right), FAME’s Pediatrician who was in charge of his care

Dr. Dorcas (right) with Sana and his son

Sana* is in Ward 1 at FAME with his 5-year-old son. It's their first visit to FAME, as his son has been unwell for the past three months. “It started when he came back from school ‘walking sideways.’ We took him to the nearby clinic, where they gave him an injection and asked us to bring him every day for a week for more injections. This treatment was very hard on him, but we agreed to it because we believed that he would get better. But he never did. In fact, his condition worsened. We tried giving him goat's blood, but it didn't help, even though it had worked before with other illnesses.” - Sana

Over three months, they visited three different hospitals. It wasn't until Sana's son fainted and remained unconscious for hours that they decided to come to FAME. The boy’s grandfather, who had been to FAME before, suggested they bring him here. They arranged and paid for an ambulance to transport him from the local hospital to FAME.

Upon reaching FAME, he was quickly received and brought to the emergency room. After undergoing tests, he was admitted to Ward 1, where he stayed for more than a month. ‘I brought him to FAME with my father. I was very scared and I was crying a lot, shocked by everything that was happening. It was the first time any of my children had been this sick and needed to stay in the hospital. Having my father here helped because he remained calm. I was worried that my son would die. Seeing how sad I was, my father asked me to return home and sell some cows to get money for the hospital bill. I agreed and left my son in the care of the FAME medical staff.” - Sana

“Whenever I visited, my boy seemed to get stronger. Over time, I could be with him without being sad so my father could return home. I’m grateful for the care at FAME. They encouraged us even when things seemed hopeless. My son’s health has been up and down, but they have remained supportive.”

— Sana

“He is my fifth child and the first boy. His mother couldn't come to stay with him because we have a 9-month-old at home and FAME is quite far away. It's a 7-hour bus ride, with only one daily departure. So, she couldn't be here, which was very hard for her. However, she calls daily and is happy to hear he's improving. She is looking forward to having him back home. I can't believe we will return home with a healthy child—such a big difference from when we came to now. I am so thankful.” - Sana

“His sisters haven't visited him yet because they are all in school. I am one of the few people in my tribe [Datooga tribe] who speak Swahili and I also wanted my children to learn it. That's why they all go to school together. He asks for them every day, but I tell him they will soon be reunited.” - Sana

“The boy came to us in a coma. He was minimally responsive. We found he had abscesses in his brain and hydrocephalus (too much cerebral spinal fluid that was compressing the brain tissue). We discussed his case with neurosurgeons from KCMC [regional referee hospitals] and decided that since the family had limited financial means, we would maximize medical treatment and watch him closely. We treated him for central nervous system tuberculosis as well as other bacterial brain infections. After about 1.5 weeks of treatment, he slowly started waking up. His grandfather did a lot of physical therapy with him and got him walking and talking by about week three. As you saw, he walked out of here after a little over a month of hospitalization. He’ll be back later this week for a follow-up. The first day he started walking with his grandfather’s support, he couldn’t believe it and started giggling and then the whole ward was laughing!” - Dr. Elissa

*The patient’s name has been changed to protect their privacy and permission was secured to share their story. This interview has been translated from Swahili to English.

On International Volunteer Day, we highlight the stories of two of FAME’s volunteers, Drs Peter and Amanda Wallis. Together with their two small children and sponsored by the Australian Volunteers Program, they have dedicated a year to volunteering at FAME. Dr. Peter specializes in pediatrics, while Dr. Amanda is an emergency physician.

Dr. Amanda Wallis

Dr. Amanda Wallis

Dr. Amanda and Christopher Mtiso (left), Head of FAME’s surgical ward

“My husband Peter and I first came to FAME as an accidental side trip when we made our first trip to Tanzania post-pandemic. Australians were finally allowed to leave Australia, so we needed to bring our not-quite-two-year-old son (born in the early days of the pandemic) to meet the part of his family that lives in Arusha. It was a wonderful family reunion trip and great to be part of the big wide world again.

During our trip, it so happened that word got out that FAME was looking for volunteers to help develop their Paediatric and Emergency Medicine departments as priorities in their new strategic plan – Pete happens to be a Pediatrician and I am an Emergency Physician… Additionally, Pete and I have a love affair with Global Health, having always spent time working in Australia and in less well-resourced countries. We were just starting to discuss where we might go to work next, for the first time with a child in tow!

“So, we were packed off to Karatu to meet the team at FAME, leaving our toddler with his new-found family in Arusha! Let’s just say that after a few hours visiting FAME, meeting the amazing staff, connecting with the visionary Frank and Susan, gaining a basic understanding of the mission and workings of the hospital and discovering the incredibly welcoming community (both hospital and wider), we found it very difficult to find reasons NOT to come to volunteer at FAME!”

— Dr. Amanda

It did seem too good to be true, though – after all, after 15 years visiting Tanzania, Emergency Medicine has always seemed somewhat enigmatic to those who have asked what I do! So, it was not without a little nervousness that we finally arrived to volunteer at FAME for a year, thanks to the support of the Australian Volunteers Program, a bit over a year after our first visit, with a new baby and toddler!

“The nervousness has not been justified. The FAME family (it often feels more like a family than a workplace) has been incredibly welcoming to our little family. From the wonderful guards and gardeners and housekeepers who come past our home and help fill our kids’ lives with fun, dancing and laughter to the various dedicated clinical, clerical and managerial staff we work with daily, FAME has managed to create a rare collaborative and caring culture that inspires you to want to be part of it. ”

— Dr. Amanda

One of the duties for FAME volunteers involves providing training to our Tanzanian staff. Dr. Amanda is pictured training doctors on the use of an electrocardiogram (ECG) for diagnosing heart conditions.

Dr. Amanda provides the team with an update on her progress in learning Swahili and needless to say, they appear thrilled! From left: FAME’s Joram Sumawe, Head of the Outpatient Clinic, Kizito Kileu, Head Nurse and Christopher Mtiso (standing), Head of Surgical Ward.

“I feel very lucky to have found a place where I can express both my Emergency Medicine and Global Health enthusiasm. It is very exciting to have found a team of people who have made Emergency Care a priority and who share my enthusiasm enough to have built a new Emergency Department that I am privileged to be present for the opening of. I am very excited about the chance to work with the FAME team over the next 9 months while we try to optimize the growth and development of this new space and department from birth to toddlerhood, which I am sure will be a challenging but very rewarding journey!”

— Dr. Amanda

Dr. Peter Wallis

Dr. Peter Wallis

Dr. Peter with a pediatric patient

“I have been lucky to visit Tanzania several times since my first trip as a newly graduated doctor in 2003. My wife Amanda and I have also worked in Tanzania and several other African and Southeast Asian countries. 

“We have been aware of that cardiac anesthetist out in Karatu for some time [Dr. Frank], but when we finally visited FAME last year, we knew we just had to work here. As you walk through the gates, you can feel that this place is different. Staff CARE, people are thirsty for learning and happy to teach us too. The campus on the hill is beautiful, with birds, trees and views of the Ngorongoro Crater. Systems work and supplies are available. So we came back.”

— Dr. Peter

We arrived here in July with our 3-year-old son and our then 7-month-old daughter. FAME is such a great place to raise young children; there is a strong sense of community here and the kids feel very safe and loved. Ollie goes to school at Black Rhino Academy, just on the other side of the field and we can ride our bikes there with him when it is not too muddy.

“After working in pediatrics at Selian Hospital in Arusha, I decided to become a pediatrician. The kids here come in so sick, but with the right treatment, we can fix them and they have the rest of their lives ahead of them. I also love neonatal medicine and babies get referred here from all around the region. What the team here can achieve with a few resources and a lot of care is amazing. Babies who otherwise would die at home are alive today because FAME is here. This is exactly why I went into pediatrics.”

— Dr. Peter

“Our family is thriving here. We are here for a year, but I hope we never leave!”

— Dr. Peter

Editors Note: FAME would like to express our immense gratitude to the Australian Volunteers Program for being an incredible partner in this work and sponsoring Drs Pete and Amanda’s 12-month assignment at FAME.

“I found out that I was HIV-positive 11 years ago when I was 59 years old. The diagnosis came about when I fell ill at home and my brothers took me to a hospital in Karatu.

The doctor told me the bad news, explaining that he had something serious to discuss. I thought he would tell me I had an infection that antibiotics could easily treat. However, he said, ‘I’m sorry, but you have HIV.’

After the shock wore off, I had a conversation with the doctor about HIV. He provided guidance, reassuring me that I wasn't alone and that many individuals lead fulfilling lives with HIV. He recommended that I start taking medicine [antiviral treatment].

Every three months, I'd go to the hospital for my medicine. I met many other people there, but everyone was trying to hide to avoid being identified. They'd hide their faces with scarves or pull sweaters over their heads, covering up as much as possible. I was sad because I was hoping to connect with people who shared my condition, someone to talk to who truly understood. But I knew why they were hiding: our community is not always kind to those dealing with our illness. If they know of your condition, you risk being isolated. The only reason I wasn't covering up was because the hospital was far from home and the chances of meeting someone I knew were very small. 

After several trips to the hospital in Karatu, the nurse suggested I get my antiretrovirals (ARVs) from my local clinic closer to home, saving time and money. It made sense, but I worried about being recognized. That’s when I decided to tell my younger brother of my HIV status and luckily, he was very supportive. 

After living with HIV for more than a decade, I don’t care if people know about my condition. I've met my neighbors at the local clinic and when they’ve asked what I'm there for, I’ve always told them the truth. Some are understanding and supportive, while others prefer to keep their distance and that's fine with me.

Recently, the family of a 20-year-old reached out to me, hoping I could talk to their relative who had become a heavy drinker after being diagnosed with HIV. It felt good to assist a young person through such a tough time, even though it had to be done secretly. 

While FAME is not the hospital where I get my ARVs, I’m so grateful for the other support they provide. After my HIV diagnosis, I was also diagnosed with epilepsy. When facing difficult episodes, I rely on FAME for assistance. I've had the opportunity to seek treatment from specialists at FAME [Dr. Michael Rubenstein's neurology clinic] and I schedule appointments with them whenever they visit FAME. I feel comfortable here because the medical staff does not judge me or treat me differently because of my disease. 

On World AIDS Day, my advice to everyone is simple: if you get diagnosed with HIV,  focus on your health. Follow your doctor's advice and take your medicine as directed. Depression and unhealthy habits like heavy drinking can be more dangerous than the disease itself, so take care of yourself.”

Monica's Baby

Monica's little one in an earlier snapshot

Monica's little one today!

Monica's daughter was born prematurely at 27 weeks in a different hospital. After being initially placed in an incubator, she was later asked to remain in the ward with the baby due to the high demand for the incubator. After 17 days, her daughter had lost weight, appeared unwell and experienced breathing difficulties. Seeking more care, Monica brought her to FAME, where she was admitted at 2.2 lbs.

“Baby now weighs 13 lbs! Looking at her, I can’t believe how far she’s come since birth. We spent 40 days at FAME’s Special Care Nursery and when I tell you the medical team fought for this baby, I mean it. There were moments when I just gave up hope, but the nurses never did and that’s why she’s alive today. Every time I bring her for vaccinations, we have to come and say hello to the wonderful nurses who kept her alive.”

— Monica

“Being a premature baby, I feel I have to take care of her on my own; I can’t ask someone else to do it. So, I haven’t been able to return to work. Thankfully, my husband took on a second job to support us and our three older children. I still turn to FAME for support, calling to check if the unusual things my baby does are normal or because she was born prematurely.”

— Monica

Joyce's Baby

Joyce’s baby before

Joyce’s baby today!

Joyce gave birth to her baby at FAME at 28 weeks, weighing only 1.7 lbs. Although this was her third child, everything felt new to her because her two previous children were born full-term.

“Every time anyone asks me just how challenging it is to raise a premature baby, I tell them not very challenging as the FAME team did all the hard work! When I took her home after two months, she finally looked like a normal baby! FAME prepared me well for taking care of her and what to expect. She’s now thriving and such a happy child. I’m grateful for all the help I got and continue to get at FAME.”

— Joyce

Joyce and Monica still keep in touch.

“We talk a lot, checking in on each other’s daughters. Sometimes, we talk about our time at FAME’s Special Care Unit (SCN), sharing memories of when we were sad and never thought our children would survive. Now they’re so big! We plan to meet soon despite not meeting in person due to different schedules. Having her with me at the SCN was a lifeline. When I felt like giving up, she encouraged me and vice versa. We remain sisters for life!”

— Joyce

Read Monica and Joyce's story of meeting each other for the first time while caring for their babies in FAME's Special Care Nursery here.

*The patients' names have been changed to protect their privacy and permission was secured to share their stories. These interviews have been translated from Swahili to English.