Sumaya’s Story – A mother reborn
February 06, 2026
Sumaya survived a three-day obstructed labour that left her with a fistula injury. Now, she is receiving holistic care to heal her body and spirit.
Sumaya is a mother of ten from a remote rural community in eastern Ethiopia. Like many women in her village, she had little access to education, family planning or skilled maternity care. Each year since her marriage, she became pregnant and gave birth at home.
But Sumaya’s eleventh pregnancy ended in tragedy. She laboured at home for three days as there was no nearby health centre, no roads and no transport. As her condition worsened, her family desperately sought help.
Eventually, neighbours carried her on a traditional stretcher, walking for hours to reach the nearest road and from there, she was taken to a government hospital. By the time Sumaya arrived, her baby had died. She was in shock from massive blood loss and her uterus had ruptured. Emergency surgery saved her life, but the damage was severe.
A devastating new reality
After two days in a coma, Sumaya woke to a devastating new reality. She was unable to control her urine and could not move her right leg properly. Prolonged, obstructed labour had caused an obstetric fistula and nerve damage resulting in foot drop.
She was weak, anaemic, malnourished and emotionally traumatised - suffering from injuries that are entirely preventable. A health professional at the hospital referred Sumaya to Hamlin’s Harar Fistula Hospital.
The Hamlin Model of Care
Here, she is currently receiving the world-renowned Hamlin Model of Care, developed by Dr Catherine Hamlin AC – she is being treated for anaemia, being given nutritious meals to restore her strength and receiving physiotherapy to increase her mobility.
When she is ready, Dr Leta, an obstetrician gynaecologist and fistula surgeon at the Harar hospital will perform fistula repair surgery on Sumaya.
Sumaya’s whole treatment and reintegration care will take one year to become fully reintegrated to her community. She will stay here for surgery then go to Desta Mender in Addis Ababa to have vocational training for three months. She is going to have continuum of care from treating her neurological problem then her urine [obstetric fistula] then psychological and social issues.
- Dr Leta, fistula surgeon,
Hamlin's Harar Fistula Hospital
After surgery, Sumaya will be transferred to Desta Mender, Hamlin’s rehabilitation and reintegration to receive rehabilitation, counselling and vocational training to support her long-term recovery and reintegration into her community.
Sumaya’s story reflects the reality faced by thousands of women living in poverty and isolation. Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia is finding and treating them and preventing more women’s suffering.
Click here to donate and help find and treat another women like Sumaya.
Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Elders past, present and emerging throughout Australia and the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Traditional Owners of the land and waterways on which our Australian office is situated. We acknowledge the many ethnic groups in Ethiopia and their ancestral and cultural connection to the land where our work is undertaken.