Gauze for a Cause

                                          Dr. Dan Kim

Several weeks ago we met a pediatric surgeon named Dr. Dan Kim of Scottish Rite Children's Hospital in Atlanta, GA ( Click here for Dr. Kim's bio http://choa.org/Childrens-Hospital-Services/Pediatric-Surgery-Georgia/Meet-The-Team/Surgeons/Daniel-S-Kim  ).  We learned that several years ago, Dr. Kim decided to give up his thriving practice in Atlanta and move his entire family to Mali West Africa to serve indefinitely at Koutiala Women's and Children's Hospital.  

        The Koutiala Women's and Children's Hospital

We asked Dr. Kim why he picked Mali of all places.  He told me that it was because Mali is one of the most medically deprived countries in the world.  We later learned that Mali is the sixth poorest country in the world and the infant mortality rate is the third highest in the world. 


Dr. Kim is the only pediatric/adolescent surgeon in the entire country of Mali.  He performs an average of four surgeries a day; many on children who have suffered from burn injuries.

He informed me that burn victims should typically have their bandages changed at least 3 to 4 times a day to keep the burned skin from getting infected.   He also told me about his extreme and critical need for gauzes and kerlix strips to treat these types of burns.

Unfortunately, because of the lack of supplies, the burn victim's bandages at Koutiala Hospital are sometimes only changed once per day. The lack of gauze and kerlix strips drastically increases the rate of infection which can lead  to death in many cases, especially for children.


Dr. Kim's story inspired me to devote as much time and resources as possible to help him gather the critical supplies and equipment needed for him to continue to perform surgeries and provide treatment (Click here to see the complete list of needed supplies https://daniel-kim-b95x.squarespace.com/critical-needs/  ) .


That's the reason why we started this GoFundMe page.  I knew that we had to get the word out to as many people as possible to contribute to the Koutiala Women's and Children's Hospital to help provide gauzes, kerlix strips, bandages and other much needed medical supplies.  A roll of gauze costs about $5.00.  We want to purchase at least 4,000 rolls of gauzes for the children of Mali.


About 47% of Malians are under the age of 15 with an average life expectancy of 53 years.  Your contributions can help save the future of an entire country.  


Thank you for taking the time to read, donate, and share. 

Personnel Assistance: 
If you or someone you know is in the medical field (Anesthesiologiest, Dentist, Respiratory Therapist, RN, Lab Director, x-Ray Technician, etc) and you have a heart to serve, please contact Dr. Kim on his website below.  

For more information about Dr. Daniel Kim or information on donating supplies, please click on the following links:

1. Dr. Kim's Bio
http://choa.org/Childrens-Hospital-Services/Pediatric-Surgery-Georgia/Meet-The-Team/Surgeons/Daniel-S-Kim

2. The Koutialia Women's and Children's Hospital Wish List
https://daniel-kim-b95x.squarespace.com/critical-needs/ 

3. Dr. Kim's Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/MaliPedSurg 

4. Featured Article
http://intouch.org/read/magazine/features/foolish-for-god-all-the-way-to-mali 

5. Dr. Kim's LinkedIn Page
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/dan-kim/3a/a01/b28