Farnham surgeon treks Sahara for NHS hospital

Farnham’s Roozbeh Shafafy has just left on a five-day endurance challenge through Morocco’s unforgiving terrain with colleagues John Afolayan and Hanny Anwar, and Mr Anwar’s son, Farouk. Tackling vast dunes and steep mountain passes, the trio are pushing themselves to their physical and mental limits, all to raise funds for the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH).

Based in Stanmore, RNOH is an NHS hospital serving patients from across the country. It specialises in orthopaedic care – treating the bone, joint, muscle and spinal conditions that affect one in three people in the UK – and receives some of the country’s most complex and life-changing cases. People who have almost run out of options. Every day, the three surgeons care for children and adults facing serious injuries, spinal conditions, bone cancer and degenerative joint problems. Now, they are going far outside their own comfort zone to ensure those patients continue to receive world-class treatment through the help of the hospital’s RNOH Charity.

While core services are funded by the NHS, charitable support enables RNOH to go further, investing in pioneering technology, cutting-edge research and better patient environments that would not otherwise be possible.

Funds raised from the Sahara Desert Trek will help ensure RNOH can continue to lead the way in specialist orthopaedic care for patients nationwide.

Thanks to supporters, RNOH Charity has recently funded a range of transformational projects, including:

• A specialist children’s halo traction wheelchair, improving comfort and mobility for young spinal patients undergoing intensive treatment so they can stay involved in daily life instead of being confined to bed

• Major investment in the operating theatres, increasing surgical capacity and helping to reduce patient waiting times

• State-of-the-art scanners to enhance diagnostic accuracy and speed up access to care

• The innovative Lyra Gait Trainer – a first for the NHS – expanding rehabilitation opportunities for spinal cord injury patients so they can walk again

• Groundbreaking orthopaedic research, including work to reduce infection and amputation in complex bone tumour surgery and better long-term outcomes studies for children

These projects directly impact thousands of patients each year, helping children take their first steps after surgery, supporting adults to regain independence and live lives free of pain and giving families reassurance during some of their most challenging times.

By taking on one of the world’s most demanding environments, the consultants hope to inspire colleagues, former patients and supporters across the country to back a cause that sits at the heart of their professional lives.

Mr Afolayan said: “I am proud to support this NHS charity and our patients at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. Please support if you can.”

If you’d like to contribute to the surgeons’ Sahara Desert challenge and leave them a message of encouragement, visit https://tr.ee/Sahara