By Dr. Nathan Tighe, Kybele team member

 

In January 2018, Dr. Alan Woodruff , Dr. Nate Tighe and nurse Melina Burns were invited to provide an educational program for the staff of a brand new Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana. Built with funding from the Rebecca Foundation (Sponsored by Ghana’s First Lady), the new unit will be the first dedicated unit devoted to the care of critically ill children in Ghana. Over 10 days, the team met with the handpicked selection of physicians and nurses, and through traditional lecture, small groups and simulation, the group covered the basics of pediatric critical care, communication, culture of safety, evidence-based medicine and quality improvement...

By Erin Pfeiffer, Kybele Grants Manager

 

We are honored to be a Round Eight awardee of the internationally recognized Grand Challenges Saving Lives at Birth program — one of Kybele’s most prestigious recognitions to date . In 2019 and 2020, Kybele is scaling our proven, innovative triage system to six high-risk obstetric hospitals in Ghana. Collective funding for the initiative is $984,069 USD and leverages the resources of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) , Norad , the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , Grand Challenges Canada , UK Department for International Development (DFID) , Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) , and Kybele’s private match funding. Out of 500 applications worldwide, only three applicants received awards . This places Kybele’s work among the most significant initiatives to improve maternal and neonatal lives in the period of childbirth worldwide.

 

Kybele’s Obstetric Triage Implementation Project (OTIP ) addresses critical delays that tragically cause high rates of preventable maternal and neonatal death...

By Sebnem Ucer, Kybele Accounts Manager

 

On May 17, world-renowned musicians came together to put on a Benefit Concert in Winston-Salem, N.C., to raise awareness and funds for Kybele. The event was initiated by Dr. Nate Tighe —an educator, trumpeter, vocalist, arranger, composer and pediatric cardiac anesthesiology fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital who has served as a Kybele team member on multiple Ghana trips. The concert featured the musical talents of Tighe, his wife and internationally renowned trumpeter Ashley Hall , and several other incredible musicians. The evening began with “Calls and Echoes,” a stunning trumpet piece by Hall and Tighe and continued with a classical trumpet piece by Verne Reynolds and many beautiful pieces played by The Ardmore Brass Quintet , Orion Camerata and Quarney Ali . The event also featured an original piece, “Duckling Song,” performed by Morgan Tighe . Concert cellist, educator, founder and artistic director of Triad Chamber Music Society Grace Anderson also performed “Sonata for Solo Cello” by Gyorgy Ligetti. The combined performances made the evening incredible for all music-lovers in attendance. From the donations and merchandise sales during the event, a net total of $3,930 was raised to benefit Kybele’s global health programs worldwide for mothers and infants.

By Elizabeth Colburn, Kybele Administrative Assistant

Kybele has officially expanded its focus into Ukraine and launched a project site in the country! In April 2019, a Kybele team spent two weeks in Ukraine and accomplished an incredible amount of work while forging strong partnerships with providers throughout the country. During the first week of the trip, the team worked with the Ternopil National Medical University and rotated between two hospitals in Ternopil. Team members were able to collaborate with leaders at the university and identify areas of future concentration — blood availability and emergency obstetric readiness. In the second week of the trip, the team visited regional centers and attended critical meetings with the health minister and governor of the Ternopil region. Throughout the time spent in Ukraine, the team deepened its impact by connecting with the community through press interviews and conference presentations, which were attended by 163 participants...

By Jozy Unal, member of The Bridge Project

 

In June, five American students — Elizabeth Bray , Martha Dean , Jozy Unal , Bray Barto and Katherine Bray — traveled to Ghana for a week and a half to more deeply understand the needs of Ghanaian students as part of Bridge Project , a student-led service arm of Kybele dedicated to serving Ghanaian schools and orphanages. Martha Dean, a three-time participant who now attends Duke University, conducted a health and wellness survey to learn more about Ghanaian students’ lifestyles and aspirations. The survey showed that the challenges that Ghanaian students face are completely different from those of American students. Students expressed struggles with simple things such as affording lunches as well as limited opportunities for important activities such as swimming lessons. Ghanaian students also indicated they are very likely to attend church and refrain from alcohol and tobacco. By examining the results of the survey, Martha Dean and the other American students came to the conclusion that in order to fully help another society, they cannot assume that the Ghanaian students have the same needs and challenges as the American students do.