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London surgeon saved boy who was born inside-out
Anna Davis19 Jun 2008
An Ethiopian boy who was born "inside out" has become the living legacy of plastic surgeon Martin Kelly, who died of a heart condition last month.
Mr Kelly, the 42-year-old husband of actress Natascha McElhone, was the founder of Facing The World, a charity dedicated to helping children with complex medical conditions.
After he met Zerihun Muche, five, while filming a documentary in Ethiopia in 2006, he made sure the boy got help, referring him to experts at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Portland Hospital.
Surgeons were so moved by Zerihun's plight that they treated him free and have set up their own charity to help other children from developing countries with his condition.
Zerihun was born with some of his internal organs, including his bladder, on the outside of his body and was destined for life as an outcast.
Surgeon Imran Mushtaq, who operated on him last month, said: "Zerihun was born 'inside out' which means he had a miserable existence. His skin was constantly wet and sore and he faced a bleak future. When Martin saw him he was wandering around naked and he just thought, 'We have to do something about this boy'. We operated on him to give him some quality of life."
Zerihun is now recovering from the 10-hour operation and wears a metal frame to keep his pelvis together. He is expected to be well enough to return to Africa in the coming weeks.
Mr Mushtaq said: "The operation went very well, the bladder is now inside the body and in future he will be able to have children, which is not something that could have happened before.
"Hopefully his life will be much better now. He is a very smart, bright and happy young little boy. It is so rewarding to treat these children and to give them a better quality of life."
Consultant urological surgeon Peter Cuckow, who also operated on Zerihun, is setting up a charity called Just Like You. He said: "Sometimes when we travel round the world we find patients with complicated problems with no way of being treated.
"We have decided to set something up where doctors will give their time and expertise for nothing and the Portland Hospital will give its services at cost price. This charity will raise money to cover those costs. Incontinence affects a large number of children but it is a taboo subject. From time to time you come across a situation you can do something about and you just have to do it."
Only 10 children each year in the UK are born with Zerihun's condition, called bladder exstrophy. Mr Mushtaq said babies are sometimes aborted after scans reveal the condition, adding: "It is a terrible problem but it can be fixed."
Zerihun's operation comes 18 months after doctors at the Portland and Great Ormond Street performed similar surgery on a six-year-old girl from Ukraine born with only one leg and half a pelvis.
To find out more about the charity, email cuckop@gosh.nhs.uk.
