Plastic and Reconstructive Services at St. Elizabeth Health Center
Dr. Michael Obeng, a Harvard-trained plastic surgeon, could have practiced anywhere in the country but decided to put his training to use here in the Mahoning Valley.
Why? Because, he says, he sees a need.
Dr. Obeng also sees a need in his home country of Ghana and makes medical missions to the county every few years. The following photos were taken during Dr. Obeng's recent visit back to Ghana.
As a child growing up in Ghana he knew of an OB/GYN and thought highly of the care he provided women in town. He was especially impressed with the good works of Operation Smile and how this group of surgeons would do a variety of things from repairing cleft lips and palates to rebuilding a
child’s ear from his/her rib.
These interactions, combined with the early deaths of his mother and
grandmother, motivated Dr. Obeng to be a surgeon. And it’s what motivates him to return to his home country and help the people of Ghana.
To help in these medical missions, Dr. Obeng had created RESTORE (Restoring Emotional Stability Through Outstanding Reconstructive Efforts). This non-profit private medical services organization is geared towards provision of free reconstructive surgery and related medical services to
abused children, battered individuals and the unfortunate ones with congenital deformities and accidents not only limited to the face, but the extremities and trunk. This organization hopes to return hope and aesthetic form that once existed or “how things ought to be."
