On February 4, 2017, When Africa Surgery was introduced to 17-year-old Theresa Saidu, her mouth was almost entirely filled up with her lower jaw, which had been converted into a massive benign tumor. Photos were sent to the surgeon at the Kijabe Hospital in Kenya who replied that he believed he might be able to help Theresa.
On May 4, 2017, Theresa was sent from Sierra Leone to Kenya and by the end of the month her lower jaw bone had been removed and replaced with a titanium reconstructive plate. Bone grafts were taken from Theresa’s hip and placed on the titanium plate so that tissue began to grow and encase the titanium implant, a regenerative ability only possessed by the lower jaw bone in humans. The cheeks, lips and other distorted parts of Theresa’s face are slowly shrinking back to their normal size.
Theresa returned home to Sierra Leone on August 21, 2017. Africa Surgery will eventuaslly have her lower jaw fitted with dentures by the only qualified dentist/oral surgeon in the country.