War Doctor Heroes: Meet Dr Samah
We are proud to introduce Dr Samah in the latest instalment of our War Doctor Heroes. These features share the stories of our global family of surgeons. Their courage, diligence and dedication inspires everything that the Foundation strives to achieve.
Dr Samah is the only female surgeon in Aden and possibly in all of Yemen. We first met this incredible doctor in 2016 when she completed our overseas training course (HEST). Since then, she has come to be regarded as one of the very best and has consistently impressed our team with her dedication and diligence.
Earlier this year, Dr Samah was able to apply the skills learned on one of our courses in a life threatening situation. She carried out an emergency procedure whereby an incision of the skin of a patient is made to create a clear airway in a technique that is only performed as a last resort when intubation is impossible. Dr Samah told us: “I saved his life; it was great what I felt at that moment. It’s all thanks to Dr David and his Foundation.”
Her legacy is a reminder of the many extraordinary women who've been on the "front line" for years.
To help us train more war doctors like Dr Samah, you can donate here.
War Doctor Heroes: Meet Dr Awss
We are delighted to feature Dr Awss from Iraq as our latest War Doctor Hero.
Dr Awss was responsible for eight field hospitals in Iraq during the worst of the fight with ISIS and he continues to treat victims of war there. He has trained with us overseas and recently attended one of our surgical training courses here in the UK (STAE).
Through the sharing of knowledge, his training has not only benefited him but also his colleagues, who work in challenging conditions and face difficult decisions every day. As a result of this skills sharing, Dr Awss and his colleagues noticed a significant decrease in the referral rate to their hospitals.
Aware of the impact these courses have on the provision of treatment in the hospitals under his care, Awss wrote to both the Prime Minister and Minister of Health in Iraq recommending that "every single person who enters into surgery, should have this course."
The work of Dr Awss and all the war surgeons with whom we work inspires us to keep moving forward so that we can continue to save more lives and limbs.
You can help us to train more doctors by donating here.
David Nott named as one of the BA 100
We are very proud to share that David has been named as one of the BA 100, a list that celebrates the top one hundred makers of Modern Britain. Curated by British Airways to commemorate their landmark centenary year, those featured represent the best of business, environment, fashion, film and entertainment, food and drink, music, art and design, philanthropy, science and technology, and sport.
The BA 100, which also includes Olivia Coleman, Dame Jane Goodall, Mary Berry and the entire England Rugby team, celebrates the inspirational people who have contributed towards making Britain the creative, open-minded and welcoming place that it is today.
We are delighted that David has been selected and that the work of the David Nott Foundation has been recognised.
You can read more about the BA 100 here.
War Doctor Heroes: Meet Dr Aisha
War Doctor Heroes features the stories of our global family of surgeons. Their devotion to saving lives inspires us to keep moving forward. Conflict doesn't stop, neither do we.
In this feature, we're proud to introduce Dr Aisha from Libya. Dr Aisha travelled 1,000 miles to attend our HEST course in Misrata, Libya. She is part of a small team of surgeons in Sabha, south west Libya. She is used to fighting to keep patients alive whilst shrapnel and bullets tear through her hospital building. “A single shot to an oxygen tube could have destroyed the whole theatre, where we were operating but we couldn’t stop – we felt we were making a difference”. After our course, Aisha said: “Your hands can do the work but you need someone to guide you”.
Help us train more war doctors like Aisha by donating here https://lght.ly/1jbkc1g
Four Years of the David Nott Foundation
Today we are celebrating four years of the David Nott Foundation.
Thank you for your support; for four years of running marathons, training surgeons, technological pioneering and building global networks.
Throughout the week on social media we have been highlighting some of the achievements that we have made so far:
We have taken our Hostile Environment Surgical Training (HEST) course to nine countries, running twelve courses with seven partner organisations. The result of this has been that 543 doctors have now been trained in cutting-edge surgical techniques that, in conflict and disaster zones, will mean the difference between life or death.
Back in the UK, we have collaborated with the Royal College of Surgeons of England to produce six Surgical Training for Austere Environments (STAE) courses, bringing surgeons and doctors from 25 countries to London to complete this unique course. We are particularly proud that we were able to offer 62 full scholarships for these courses, widening our outreach and reducing barriers to accessing this life-changing training for surgeons who would not otherwise be able to participate.
Our global family of physicians, surgeons, doctors, donors and supporters is growing every day. The stories we hear from all involved are both humbling and inspiring. We look forward to the next four years with excitement and determination, and hope you will join us in our endeavour.
Conflict doesn't stop, and neither do we: we have helped to save 1.3 million lives and limbs but can help so many more. Find out how you can get involved and donate to the Foundation on our 'Get Involved' page, or suggest any fundraising ideas in an email to [email protected].
Newsletter July 2019
This is our latest news update from the David Nott Foundation. In this month's issue:
- The David Nott Foundation turns four years old!
- Introducing Heston: our silicon cadaver transforming surgical training
- We highlight one of our #wardoctorheroes, Dr Omar from Iraq
This week we celebrate four years of the David Nott Foundation. Thanks to your support, we have been able to achieve such a huge amount in this short time.
We have taken our Hostile Environment Surgical Training (HEST) course to nine different countries, running 12 courses with seven partner organisations; there are more on the way and word is spreading fast. Through lectures and simulations, HEST has improved complex surgical skills and built a global network of war doctors, equipped to deal with the most hostile of surgical environments. Read more about HEST...
On the other side of our work, we have brought surgeons from 25 countries to six UK-based Surgical Training for Austere Environments (STAE) courses, run by the Royal College of Surgeons. The Foundation has been able to award 62 scholarships to surgeons who otherwise would not have been able to carry out the training.
Read more about STAE...
What drives our world-leading status in surgical training is a combination of pioneering innovative technologies, highly effective methods of teaching, and an exceptional team devoted to bridging the gap between the Foundation's faculty and the surgeons who can benefit from them.
Conflict doesn't stop, and neither do we. Your support has helped us achieve so much already but there is more to do. Head to our website to find out how you can get involved, fundraise or donate to ensure that we can continue to train surgeons, and save lives.
Introducing Heston: the silicon cadaver saving lives
When training surgeons to perform complex procedures in hostile war zones, or natural disaster areas, it can be very difficult to simulate operations on the go; cadaver training that would be used in the UK has been impossible on our HEST courses.
Enter Heston: a full-sized and incredibly accurate silicon patient named after our HEST programme. Created by Max and Izzy Campbell, Heston is fully equipped with all the incisions and realistic internal organs necessary to demonstrate the trauma surgeries that save people's lives in hostile environments. Heston has already travelled with us to Yemen and Kenya, and as a dedicated honorary faculty member, he will continue to help us in future locations.
Heston is the latest example of the David Nott Foundation's technological innovation. Advancements in surgical teaching equipment such as Heston mean that our war doctors are better prepared to face real casualties with advanced techniques.
Let Heston's creators introduce him further in this video.
Spotlight on Dr Omar Alamouri
The Foundation's global network of #wardoctorheroes is our proudest achievement. Our work is about investing in people, providing the skills that save lives.
Hailing from Iraq, Omar is an orthopaedic surgeon who came to one of our surgical training courses in 2018. He was awarded a David Nott Foundation scholarship, which allowed him to travel to the Royal College of Surgeons in London to attend the Surgical Training for Austere Environments (STAE) course directed by David Nott.
Following Omar's completion of the STAE course, and now home in Iraq, a massive road traffic accident saw a young patient brought into hospital. With a compound hip fracture, and rapid blood loss, doctors were gravely concerned that he would not survive.
With a rapid and calculated reaction, Omar performed a life-saving procedure that he had learned on our training course. He hoped to give his young patient the greatest chance of survival.
We are pleased to say that he recently visited his patient, who is now doing well. Speaking about the Foundation he said:
"You saved another life without even knowing [it]. You all should be proud of what you are doing. I want people to know the real benefits of these training courses”.
War Doctor Heroes: Meet Dr Omar
This is Omar. He is an orthopaedic surgeon in Iraq. He came on one of our surgical training courses in 2018.
We heard that, following a massive road traffic accident, a young patient was brought into his hospital with a compound hip fracture. He was losing so much blood that doctors were gravely concerned that he might not survive. Omar decided to perform a procedure he'd learnt to do properly on our training course.
He recently visited his patient and was delighted to see that he's doing really well. "You saved another life without even knowing it. We are so proud of you. I want people to know the real benefits of these training courses".
"The training helped me to do the procedure properly and without it the boy may not have lived" said Omar.
Help us train more surgeons like Omar https://lght.ly/1jbkc1g
Meet Heston!
Our newest team member is Heston: a life-sized replica human crafted from silicon. Heston plays a leading role in our overseas training programmes, so far helping us in Yemen and Kenya.
Named after our Hostile Environment Surgical Training (HEST) course, Heston’s intensive design and ingenious construction process ensure that his skin, bones and organs feel and look authentic. This anatomical accuracy provides surgeons with a close-up look at what they can expect during real field operations, and difficult procedures in austere environments.
Thanks to Heston’s creators Max and Izzy Campbell (@healthcuts on Instagram); their work keeps us at the cutting edge of technologies that will train war doctors, and save lives.
Taking on the Great North Run
Frederick Watson is running the Great North Run for the David Nott Foundation!
Frederick grew up in Newcastle and did the Great North Run for the first time in 2002. He now lives in South Island, New Zealand, and will be strapping on his running shoes and flying back this year to run again.
He was inspired by War Doctor, which he found in his local library, and he has even recommended it to his son to read too. The pair will be running together in September. If you want to show your support for Frederick, you can find his fundraising page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/frederick-watson1
Thank you Frederick!