Country: Solomon Islands

Vincent is a Solomon Islands patient who arrived in Australia as a two-month old requiring urgent surgery to correct a blockage between his oesophagus and his stomach. This meant he had to be fed via a catheter into the stomach. Ten months later, after follow-up surgery, numerous hospital visits for day procedures, and constant monitoring Continued…

Verzi, a fifteen-year-old girl from the Solomon Islands, arrived in Sydney with her carer, Aunt Vedna. She had rheumatic fever in 2015 and now needed the mitral valve in her heart replaced. Verzi had her pre-admission checks at the Westmead Children’s Hospital Heart Clinic, in preparation for her surgery. Her surgeon was Dr Ian Nicolson, Continued…

Mourine, accompanied by her mother Ekila, arrived in Sydney to receive treatment for a large mass growing on her neck and chest. Their home is a small island in the north of the Solomon Islands where they live a subsistence life without modern conveniences, such as electricity. The culture shock on arrival in Sydney, where Continued…

Ken lives with his family in a remote village in the Solomon Islands where they have no running water or electricity. He was born prematurely at 6 months so he was taken by canoe to a clinic and then transported to hospital, where he spent the next 3 months. However, over time, his heart started Continued…

At 3 years Kachico had an accident which resulted in a long nail entering his head. The nail was removed but metal fragments had been left behind. This caused infections and the formation of a large lesion which continued to weep. Kachico was also suffering from headaches and fits.