Catherine's Gift

Dr Catherine Hamlin has been described as a living saint and is truly a great Australian. Since 1959 she has lived and worked in Ethiopia, helping the victims of fistulas - devastating injuries caused by obstructed labour in childbirth, and which condemn sufferers to a lifetime of incapacity and social exclusion. The surgery she pioneered has helped tens of thousands of afflicted women to return to normal life after being shunned for years by their families and communities. The hospitals she has set up in her adopted country now function as teaching centres for obstetricians and surgeons from many developing nations.  
  
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Dr Catherine Hamlin has been described as a living saint and one of our greatest Australians. Since 1959 she has lived and worked in Ethiopia, helping the victims of fistulas - devastating injuries caused by obstructed labour in childbirth, which condemn women to a lifetime of incapacity and degradation. The surgery she pioneered has helped tens of thousands of sufferers return to normal life after being shunned by their families and communities. The hospitals she has set up in her adopted country now act as teaching centres for obstetricians and surgeons from many developing nations. Catherine's Gift takes us inside her extraordinary world, following the fate of some of the women who have travelled to Dr Hamlin's hospitals in the hope of a cure for their fistula injuries. It shows us the day-to-day experiences of her incredible staff, and the tireless work of Catherine Hamlin herself. There are few more inspirational stories than that of Dr Catherine Hamlin, and this book brings her and her work vividly to life.Read less