Living miracles
23rd September 2011
Last night I saw two living miracles; baby twins Rital and Ritag Gaboura who, when I met them just five months ago, had been joined at the head. Now, thanks to the amazing skills of surgeons at Great Ormond Street Hospital, they have been successfully separated.
Yesterday was their first birthday and, at the invitation of their parents, my daughter Camilla and I went to celebrate it with them.
We had met the Gaboura family earlier this year through the charity Facing the World, and promised to arrange private transport to carry the twins, their nurses and their parents from their home in Sudan, to London as soon as surgery for the twins was booked.
It wasn’t the first time Camilla and I had witnessed the life changing work of Facing the World, which provides facially disfigured children from very poor countries, with reconstructive surgery; but nothing could have prepared us for this. Rital and Ritag are living miracles. For the first time in their lives can see each other, can smile at each other and can play together.
I take my hat off to the surgeons who performed these operations. Their skill takes my breath away. They have transformed the lives of this family forever and their skill takes my breath away. Happy birthday Rital and Ritag, and we wish you many more to come.
Your support
Most of the children afflicted with facial disfigurement do not know that help exists. Any donation you can give will help these children have a chance to lead a more normal life and give them the confidence to face the world. Please help by making a donation www.facingtheworld.net; gosh.org.uk