Update Video
GEORGE NEWS & VIDEO - Dr Ansua Steyn-Ahlstrom from George, famous for the surgical procedures that she performs on the DSTV show Dr Etter, is a woman on a mission.
And there is absolutely no stopping this tiny redhead when it comes to her new venture: providing life-changing minor (and not so minor) surgical procedures free of charge.
Dr Ansua, as she is widely known, is a medical doctor and small surgical procedure aesthetician who has founded an NPO, the Dr Ansua Foundation, to get medical practitioners to provide their services, expertise, medicine and theatres at no cost to help at least one person a month.
The first beneficiary of the Dr Ansua Foundation - nine-year-old Lelitha Jantjies from Pacaltsdorp in George - received crucial plastic surgery this past Monday, 11 September. The surgery was performed to alleviate scars on Lelitha's face after the family pit bull attacked her in September last year.
The three-hour operation was performed by Dr Ansua and Knysna-based plastic surgeon, Dr Marshall Murdoch, in a theatre provided at no charge by Advanced Health Surgical Centre in Knysna.
Anaesthetist Dr Catharine Knights and a skin expert from Nuskinovation in George, Alet Coetzee, were part of the team who banded together to change Lelitha's life.
Just before going to print on Wednesday, Dr Ansua told George Herald that her little patient is doing well and on the road to recovery.
"Monday was a long day at the office, but it is all worth it. It involved extensive corrective surgery, but we are confident that Lelitha's face will heal nicely and that the scars will be much less severe. At the moment she is not complaining of any pain. On Friday we will remove the dressings for the first time."
Video: Dr Ansua Steyn-Ahlstrom gesels met Lelitha Jantjies se ma, Ahisa Louw oor die dag toe die gesin se Amerikaanse veghond vir Lelitha aangeval het en die impak op hulle lewens.
See the article by Michelle Pienaar about the pit bull attack and its devastating impact on Lelitha and her family on page 2 of today's George Herald newspaper.
Huge need
Since the airing of Dr Etter - etter is Afrikaans for pus and not Dr Ansua's choice of name! - she has been overwhelmed by requests for procedures from desperate people who cannot afford essential surgical care.
"State hospitals are buckling under demand and do not have the time and resources to perform non life-threatening procedures like cyst removal, lipoma and xanthelasma removal or scar revision surgery. These conditions may not kill you, but if left unaddressed they have a massively negative impact on your overall quality of life and self-esteem."
Dr Ansua feels compelled to help those she can. "I don't know how exactly I am going to achieve this, but I just know that I have to. With the help of the public and medical fraternity we can make a huge difference.
"How do you say no to someone when it is within your power to help the person to live a decent, happy life? We have the skills to transform lives."
VIDEO - Dokters staan saam om pitbull-slagoffer se lewe te verander:
Next beneficiary
The next person in line to receive a helping surgical hand is Melvin Maxim (41), also from George, who has been suffering from an extreme form of keloids on his body and face since his teens.
The keloids, that look like massive clumps of mushrooms sprouting from his cheeks, neck, ears and back, have been removed before, but without the correct follow-up aftercare, they simply grew back - worse than ever.
Dr Ansua is now looking for an oncologist to come on board, as well as a sponsor for the expensive injections that Maxim will have to receive for six months after his surgery.
Melvin Maxim (41) from George, who suffers from keloids, is the next person the Dr Ansua Foundation wants to help.
Maxim told George Herald that he has learned to live with the uncomfortable huge growths, but that other people find his appearance shocking when he is in public. At first he was hesitant to have a photo of his keloids published saying he would prefer "before and after" pics. "Let's wait till Dr Ansua has worked her magic."
He then realised that an image of the severity of his condition may convince more people to contribute and aid the foundation, not only to enable his own surgery, but also those of other people in need.
Please help Dr Ansua change lives by making donations to the foundation or by offering appropriate medical expertise free of charge. A document outlining all the details of the Dr Ansua Foundation including contact details is available below:
George Herald will keep readers up to date with Dr Ansua and her colleagues' philanthropic medical work. Also follow Dr Ansua on Facebook.
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