Miss Verona Beckles, Upper Limb & Trauma Surgeon, spent just over a year working in Beit CURE International Hospital in Malawi, a 58-bed teaching hospital that specializes in treating the orthopaedic needs of children and adults. In this interview (with Mary Wolff-Ingham), Verona shares what it was like to work out in Malawi; provide surgical care to some of the world’s poorest children and why she is so proud that LSO is sponsoring this year’s CURE Carols by Candlelight event at Chapel Royal of St.Peter ad Vincula, HM Tower of London.
How did you become involved with CURE?
In 2004, while I was a junior doctor, a dear friend of mine and I, jumped at the opportunity of spending two weeks doing paediatric orthopaedic clinics with Chris Lavy. He is a UK surgeon; one of CURE’s founders and was working out in Malawi. It was such an amazing experience, I spent the next three years working out how I might return to spend longer. Eventually, after securing an orthopaedic training post in London, I returned to the Beit CURE International Hospital, where I spent 14 months as a Senior Clinical & Research Fellow.
Tell me a bit about your day-to-day life in Malawi and working in that role.
Each morning started with either a prayer, worship session or bible study, which was actually all about receiving God’s wisdom and putting it into action, in terms of our clinical skills. There was a lot of singing!
There was a pre-operative ward round on Sunday evening and I would prepare for my operating list on Monday. The hospital had world-class facilities and it was a privilege to be able to provide equivalent surgical care to some of the world’s poorest kids.
What were the main challenges you faced?
Many of the children had had no access to medical care, which meant that they often came to the hospital with untreated medical issues. One thing I became quite involved in (and subsequently wrote a paper on) were the bone infection cases, which were really serious and we would help with surgery to improve their quality of life.
Other conditions included neglected club foot surgery (known as talipes equinovarus surgery) which meant children had severe disabilities. Correcting club foot, through surgery, is now one of CURE’s biggest programmes. Children now receive the same treatment as children in the UK, known as Ponseti treatment.
One difficult thing I remember, was having to wait for a water delivery to arrive one day in order to start operating. This is something that we just do not understand in the UK.
What were the most common types of disability or deformities that you were able to correct?
I remember operating on quite a few lower limb deformities such as Blounts disease but also operating on things like syndactyly, when children are born with two or more fingers fused together.
Burns were also common. We would see children with burns (from open paraffin fires) that had been left totally untreated – e.g. with their forearms completely attached to their upper arm or their chin completely attached to their chest by the burn. We’d spend ages trying to give them an elbow that worked or plastic surgery to release the skin and give them better excursion of the neck.
Do you have a most memorable moment about the time you spent out there?
It is the only place in the world I have ever been mugged! On a more positive note, I made some amazing friends out there, that I am still very close to. Time spent with them, sharing experiences was second to none. I also planted some trees. That was my Dad’s idea. Ultimately, I met some lovely, lovely people, that have changed my life forever.
Is there a particular child that sticks in your memory?
Yes, absolutely. It was ‘the girl in the pink dress’. She has a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta. It’s a condition where the bones bend and break easily and re-fracture repeatedly. She had quite bowed legs and I was one of the surgeons who straightened her femurs (thigh bones).
By chance, I saw her again six months later, when I was passing through her village. I didn’t expect to find her, but actually it wasn’t that difficult. You just have to say who you are when you arrive and it spreads like wildfire through the whole village. Someone ran ahead of me and found her. She came out wearing the most beautiful pink dress. She was beaming! She was a little bit taller too, partly because her legs were straighter.
She was now known in the village ‘as the child that has straightened legs’. It was so nice to know that I played a part in that.
What did you miss about Britain?
English Breakfast Tea! Malawi grows tea; the tea estates are beautiful and verdant, but I missed the blend of PG Tips or Tetley. Also, the milk (and the right amount) and the hard water in London, which gives the tea I’m used to its distinctive taste. The tea there was the same colour as “builders tea” when I made it, but it tasted nothing like our tea! We had a real laugh about it. When I made people tea, they would say “what is this?”
What were the key things you learnt whilst you were there?
I learnt how to treat a breadth of conditions, which until that point, I’d only read about for exams in textbooks in the UK. It’s given me some wide all-round skills and versatility that has helped me in my day-to-day work as an Upper Limb Surgeon here in London.
I also learnt how to relate to children from a completely different culture, but also relate to their mothers, who just did not understand me – i.e. an independent woman who supported herself and drives a car! The women there seemed so dependent, but have to be independent too, like going into a field to harvest immediately after giving birth with a baby on their back. I learnt lots of things from them and came to understand the real everyday challenges they face.
Ultimately, I have learnt about the plight of women and have been inspired by them about what ‘resilience’ really means.
When you came back, you became a Trustee of CURE International UK. What did that involve?
As a Trustee, I had two main roles; one was to raise funds in the UK, using events such as this year’s CURE Carols by Candlelight event. The other was as an ambassador and engaging with surgeons who wanted to follow in my footsteps by working for CURE International.
I’m no longer a trustee, but the need is great and whilst it is, I will always be an ambassador, to give a voice to the voiceless.
Do you have any advice to someone who is thinking of going to work in a CURE International hospital?
Just do it! Don’t hesitate or find excuses because your life is so busy. Just decide you are doing it and all the other stuff will fall into place. There are centres of excellence out there, so if you are super-specialised, you can still find a role you can do within your framework and there are lots of different places to do that. Talk to people who have done it, so you’ll know what to expect. It will be life changing. You will never regret it!
What about people who want to give money to support CURE?
There are lots of different ways you can give. You can do it as a group (e.g. as a medical practice … just like my practice London Sports Orthopaedics are supporting the CURE Carols by Candlelight event this year) or as an individual.
You can give money to support a specific condition and pay for a set number of operations, or you can sponsor a bed. There are lots of different ways to support. You just need to find something that resonates with you.
What are you looking forward to most about CURE Carols by Candlelight at HM Tower of London this year?
Three things:
Firstly, I am looking forward to the most amazing choir. They have unbelievable voices and harmonies.
The second thing I am looking forward to is raising the profile of this amazing organisation.
Finally, the thing that really gets me excited is having my amazing colleagues at London Sports Orthopaedics (LSO) interested in supporting CURE International UK. Having LSO sponsor tonight’s carol concert makes me feel really proud.
Miss Verona Beckles, Upper Limb & Trauma Surgeon, London Sports Orthopaedics.
For more information https://sportsortho.co.uk/specialist/miss-verona-beckles/
For more information about CURE visit their website https://uk.cure.org/