Patients Bring Joy to the OR

MMF Mali 2015’s BFF, Toroba Samaké

Toroba Samaké came into the hospital smiling, and his sunny disposition never wavered. He asked Abby, Ibrahim, and Ibrahima for their names, shook their hands and said “now you’re my friend” – “aw yé n° terikeyé” in Bambara. From then on we called him “BFF.”

Toroba was a mason – in fact, he’d worked on the original Siraba School construction in 2008! But due to pain from the large mass in his neck, he hasn’t been able to work for 2 years. All smiles again after his surgery, he told us he was so very happy, was excited to start working again, and will work “even harder.” He told Abby that if she ever needs a house or another school built – “we will build it together.”