Meet Hana...
180 x 220
Hana Mekonnen, 11, is a tough girl who has overcome great challenges. Orphaned at 3 years old and an only child, she has been living in a two-room house with dirt floors and a tin roof with her grandmother since she her parents died. She is quick to point out that her grandmother has been a tremendous source of strength, teaching her tolerance, how to respect others, and how to respond to unfamiliar situations.
When Hana was two years old, her spine became severely deformed from tuberculosis. Her grandmother became sick and couldn't bring her to the hospital, delaying her treatment. At a local health center, she was given treatment for her tuberculosis in injection and tablet forms. They helped reduce the pain, but when her pain came back, she decided to stop taking the medicine, thinking that it was what was harming her. But the pain continued to worsen, hurting her when she bent forward, and she lost some function in her right leg. She decided to restart the medication. It soon allowed her to stand upright again, but the damage to her spine done by her tuberculosis remains, and has left her with a sharp angle in the center of her back. Her angle is about 100 degrees, a major "V" in mid-back. She has lost 70% of her lung function do to this deformity. Though she is often slower than the other children, she enjoys running around the track. However, when it comes to academics, she excels compared to her classmates: she is ranked #2 out of 84 students. Her grandmother cried when talking about her granddaughter's academic success and the look of pride in her eyes was tremendous. It is easy to imagine that her grandmother's pride helps sustain Hana when the other children tease her.
Hana now spends a great deal of time caring for her grandmother, returning the favor for the many years her grandmother spent raising her. She fetches water, bakes injera, makes coffee, and cooks food. The water pump is down Hana's street, and she has difficulty using it, sometimes swinging from the handle because of her reduced height. One of Hana's favorite games when the work is done is hide-and-seek. Her favorite place to hide is within the triangular space formed between an opened door and a wall, a spot she says hasn't failed her yet. When she's older, Hana sees herself working on environmental problems, especially water pollution. She likes playing outside “more than anything.” It's a powerful goal for a girl who isn't permitted any of the frivolities her peers have, but with her grandmother's help, she says, “I can do anything.”
Hana is now in Ghana for surgery to correct her spine deformity. The money raised from Tom Bedford's incredible marathon run for the Entoto Foundation in October 2009 has fully funded the surgery she so desperately needed to save her life.
When Hana was two years old, her spine became severely deformed from tuberculosis. Her grandmother became sick and couldn't bring her to the hospital, delaying her treatment. At a local health center, she was given treatment for her tuberculosis in injection and tablet forms. They helped reduce the pain, but when her pain came back, she decided to stop taking the medicine, thinking that it was what was harming her. But the pain continued to worsen, hurting her when she bent forward, and she lost some function in her right leg. She decided to restart the medication. It soon allowed her to stand upright again, but the damage to her spine done by her tuberculosis remains, and has left her with a sharp angle in the center of her back. Her angle is about 100 degrees, a major "V" in mid-back. She has lost 70% of her lung function do to this deformity. Though she is often slower than the other children, she enjoys running around the track. However, when it comes to academics, she excels compared to her classmates: she is ranked #2 out of 84 students. Her grandmother cried when talking about her granddaughter's academic success and the look of pride in her eyes was tremendous. It is easy to imagine that her grandmother's pride helps sustain Hana when the other children tease her.
Hana now spends a great deal of time caring for her grandmother, returning the favor for the many years her grandmother spent raising her. She fetches water, bakes injera, makes coffee, and cooks food. The water pump is down Hana's street, and she has difficulty using it, sometimes swinging from the handle because of her reduced height. One of Hana's favorite games when the work is done is hide-and-seek. Her favorite place to hide is within the triangular space formed between an opened door and a wall, a spot she says hasn't failed her yet. When she's older, Hana sees herself working on environmental problems, especially water pollution. She likes playing outside “more than anything.” It's a powerful goal for a girl who isn't permitted any of the frivolities her peers have, but with her grandmother's help, she says, “I can do anything.”
Hana is now in Ghana for surgery to correct her spine deformity. The money raised from Tom Bedford's incredible marathon run for the Entoto Foundation in October 2009 has fully funded the surgery she so desperately needed to save her life.
