Help For Health — From Colorado To Africa
CBS4 Denver | December 3, 2019
(CBS4) – Villages in the country of Ghana are long way away in west Africa, but tied closely to Colorado. Newmont Goldcorp, based in Denver, has two mines in the country. Now it has joined with DaVita’s Bridge of Life to provide medical care to the communities near them. Among those they met was a woman named Hannah with a kidney obstruction who program director Katie Chandler had helped on an earlier trip.
“She traveled seven hours by bus just to reconnect with bridge of life on the other side of Ghana,” she said.
Those they saw were screened, and had their blood and vital signs checked. They were able to see doctors who could give them prescription drugs.
Valerie Zanon Wieland was one of the Denver volunteers who made the trip to Africa.
Valerie Zanon Wieland was one of the Denver volunteers who made the trip to Africa.
“They know about Denver they know about the work we do in Colorado,” she explained.
Those they saw were screened, and had their blood and vital signs checked. They were able to see doctors who could give them prescription drugs.
Valerie Zanon Wieland was one of the Denver volunteers who made the trip to Africa.
“They know about Denver they know about the work we do in Colorado,” she explained.
The program came about after a contractor for Newmont died of a kidney disease.
Ghana is just one of some 30 places Bridge of Life, founded by the kidney care company DaVita, has brought help.
Caroline Leeds had been to Ghana before. This time the mission was truly life saving.
In one case they discovered a girl named Bridgette had serious kidney issue she was not even aware of.
“It’s very likely she would have died it’s a high risk condition and her diabetes had not been managed or diagnosed,” she said.
The trip to Africa proved life saving for Bridgette, life changing for those who came to Ghana from Colorado.
Read the original article by visiting : https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/12/03/help-health-colorado-africa/