Standing Tall

What does a life-changing surgery mean to an 8-year-old boy from a remote Papua New Guinea village? For now, it is about being able to walk, run, hop, cycle, and play, when he could not, previously. Koko Makura is the youngest of eight children. “He is a keen sportsman and very good at playing basketball and rugby”, described proudly by his mother, Kapeta Makura. Australian aid groups No Roads to Health and Children First Foundation brought Koko to Melbourne, in March 2015, where orthopaedic surgeon Leo Donnan, of St Vincent’s Private Hospital, operated on his leg, to remove the 90-degree bend. The surgery took four to five hours. The recovery took longer, but the transformation is remarkable - not just physically, but it has put a smile on the face of Koko and his family. Please join me in this photo essay in sharing the story, and witnessing the resilience, of a boy named Koko.