Dear friends and patrons,
Dr. Gassner has been passionately engaged in humanitarian projects for many years. First missions to India were followed by engagements in Rwanda and Ghana. He has been closely cooperating with his friend and colleague Dr. Kofi Boahene of Johns Hopkins Medical Center. During the early trips, both focused on providing medical and surgical care to under-privileged populations in developing countries. In the following years, the focus shifted to “leaving something behind”. Projects were increasingly designed to transfer capacity. Teaching and training were at the core of many efforts.
Supported by the Canadian foundation “Face the Future“, Drs. Gassner and Boahene took part in team missions to Kigali / Rwanda yearly for ten consecutive years to train local surgeons in advanced techniques in reconstructive facial surgery. The local team around Dr. Charles Furaha managed an increasingly wide and deep spectrum of congenital deformities, traumatic injuries, and burn injuries in children and adults.
The current core project is the development of the WAISS teaching hospital and surgical center in Accra, Ghana for those patients in need of highly specialized facial, head and neck and skull base surgery. This idea was born between Dr. Gassner and Boahene during their surgical training at the Mayo Clinic in the early 2000s. For this purpose, Dr. Gassner and Dr. Boahene started two foundations: “Foundation for Special Surgery” und “Foundation for Special Surgery Europe” and continuously worked towards their common dream.
After nearly twenty years of continuous efforts, a suitable lot of land was purchased in 2017; the ground breaking for the construction was celebrated in 2021; and the hospital was opened in April of 2024.
The current efforts are more intense and important. Over the coming years, we intend to stabilize the function of the first operating room and to successively expand the use of the hospital floors, ICU, laboratories and remaining operating room. Particular challenges include staff recruitment, staff training and medical and surgical education. For these important and decisive efforts, we rely on your important support. Please view the website of our foundation www.ffsse.eu for projects and missions that are deserving of your support.
Current: We are seeking support to install a oxygen supply system and to fund a surgical mission to operate children and patients with important facial defects and deformities.
Thank you very much for your important support.
Holger G, Gassner
Kofi Derek Boahene
Michael Dowling
In order to donate by bank transfer, please direct your contribution to:
FFSSE
IBAN DE84 7505 0000 0027 2098 99
Please contact us to receive your donation receipt at: info@ffsse.eu
