A Melbourne medical team has banded together to perform life-saving brain surgery on a single mother from Papua New Guinea.
Cabrini Malvern hospital, in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs, covered the operating and intensive care costs, while a seven-member surgical team worked for free to remove a large brain tumour from 34-year-old Hare Haro.
Her fast recovery since her operation last month has delighted surgeons and she has been given the all-clear to return home to her four children.
“It’s just awesome … I wish I could hug all of them [the surgical team], find every single one of them and give them a big hug because they gave up their time to come in and basically save my life,” Ms Haro said.
When Ms Haro first became ill and began suffering migraines in January, doctors in Papua New Guinea told her she was suffering from Dengue fever, and later said she had malaria.
“The migraines started becoming more constant … the pain became so intense that I would throw up just from the pain alone. I was bedridden,” she said.
Ms Haro had to take time off work as a team leader for ABC International Development after beginning to lose feeling in her left side, and in March, medical scans confirmed she had a brain tumour.
“It was scary … I thought it was the end of my life. [I thought] what are my kids going to do without me? I’m a single parent,” she said.
Papua New Guinea did not have the equipment required for the complex operation and she could not afford the estimated $70,000 cost of surgery in the Philippines.
Ready to get back to her kids
Cabrini Malvern agreed to step in and help, while neurosurgeon Myron Rogers quickly assembled a team of willing volunteers, including an anaesthetist, assistant, technician and three nursing staff.
“Putting it quite bluntly, if she hadn’t had surgery in the next few months, she’d probably die because as the tumour expands and the pressure in the head goes up, it has consequences for brain function,” he said.
“It’s extremely pleasing to see that we’ve been able to have such an impact on her life.
“Cabrini Hospital is well known for its pro-bono work … it’s something that’s part of the hospital’s mission statement and I think that all of the staff, if they can help when the situation arises, they are happy to do so.”
Associate nurse manager of neurosurgery at Cabrini Tracey Foster said it was great to see Ms Haro enjoying such an excellent recovery.
“I think the whole team was very proud of what we did and we’ll do again … it’s part of being a nurse too, it’s about nurturing and healing,” she said.
Ms Haro said she would now use her gift of life to give back to her community and possibly return to Australia to help the Children’s First Foundation, which has taken care of her since she was discharged from hospital.
But first, she will savour every pain-free moment with her four children.
“I feel good, I feel great, I am ready to go back home,” she said.
