After close to six months in the hospital, the nine-year-old girl whose hand was literally boiled by her stepmother at Goaso in the Ahafo region has been discharged from the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital (KATH).
Stephanie’s deteriorating hand was brought to the attention of health officials late amidst fears of amputation.
Through series of surgeries and treatments largely sponsored by the Management of Mensin Gold Bibiani Limited and other donors, her hand has been saved.
But doctors say she will need series of physiotherapy sessions to regain the function of some of her fingers.
“When she came for the first time, the hand was almost cooked. We had to improve the function of the hand and I think that we have been able to achieve that even though we did not get 100%.
“Now she will be able to use her fingers to grab something or write and then we will continue now with the hand physiotherapy to improve the function further. Maybe in the future, we may need to do a few corrective surgeries here and there, but now I think that what we have is quite satisfactory,” the Head of the plastic surgery team at the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital, Dr. Emil Tano noted.
Stephanie is happy and grateful to be discharged, but worried about the state of her hands now.
“I want my fingers to be able to open wide,” she told Luv FM’s Erastus Asare Donkor.
Principal Nursing Officer in Charge D2C Burns Unit at KATH, Esther Nyarko Boateng said doctors did their best to put Stephanie’s hands in good shape.
“We have been able to get this far, it is not the best though but it is one of the best results considering how the injury came. It came quite late so we could not do a lot for her,” she stated.
Individuals including the husband of the accused and the Wadoma Foundation donated to her upkeep.
Mensin Gold Bibiani Limited took over the medical expenses for her surgeries and upkeep.
“At Mensin, we look at some of these things that are heartbreaking that need intervention for the survival of the needy and the Board and Management were happy to support and make sure we provided the required support to make sure that Stephanie regains her hands,” Sustainability Manager of the company, Emmanuel Aiddoo stated.
The suspect, a female teacher at Goaso, dipped Stephanie’s hands in boiling water for taking her ¢2 without permission.
Ellen Serwaa, the teacher, was also accused of managing the injury at home in the Ahafo regional town of Goaso for days until the child’s hand deteriorated before seeking medical help for Stephanie.
Police are ready to continue with the prosecution of the woman at the center of the abuse who has since been going to court.