From Silence to Strength: Tiruwork’s Story
January 05, 2026
Tiruwork’s life was turned upside down by a birth injury, but she found the help she needed to heal and finally move forward with hope.
In the quiet fields of Addis Zemen woreda (district), a woman named Tiruwork once spent her days herding cattle under the Ethiopian sun. She had attended school until the sixth grade, balancing her studies with the demands of rural life.
Like many young women, Tiruwork dreamed of a future filled with family, love and good health. But shortly after she got married, Tiruwork’s life changed in ways she could never have imagined.
When Tiruwork went into labor with her first child, what should have been a moment of joy turned into a terrifying ordeal. Her labor stretched on for days, her strength slipping away with every passing hour. Eventually, doctors at a nearby health center performed surgery to save her life.
“I told them to go ahead with the operation,” Tiruwork recalls. “The pain was so intense - I just wanted to live.”
The surgery spared the lives of Tiruwork and her baby, but she was left with a devastating complication she didn’t understand at first. Tiruwork had sustained an obstetric fistula.
Shame and Isolation
The days that followed were filled with confusion, shame and sorrow. Tiruwork realized she was leaking urine constantly and, no matter what she tried, it wouldn’t stop.
When I experienced fistula, I was extremely sad. I didn’t understand why it was happening and I felt hopeless, believing I was the only one suffering from it. I felt very lonely and inferior, unable to raise my head with confidence. I was embarrassed to be seen by others. I stopped going to church, I stopped visiting friends. I felt so alone.
- Tiruwork
In Tiruwork’s community, there is much stigma surrounding this condition, so she withdrew from social gatherings for fear of being humiliated.
At her lowest moments, Tiruwork even thought about ending her life but her newborn daughter gave her a reason to remain strong. “When I saw my baby,” she said, “I changed my mind. She gave me happiness, even in my pain.”
Compassion and Treatment
Desperate for help, Tiruwork repeatedly visited her local health center, pleading for a referral. Eventually, she heard about Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s fistula hospital in Bahir Dar - a place where women like her could receive specialized treatment and care.
“When I heard there was a hospital that could treat me, I felt a surge of warmth and happiness. I couldn’t wait to go and begged people to take me there,” says Tiruwork.
When she finally arrived, she was welcomed with compassion. The staff provided not just medical treatment but also emotional support and education. Women are encouraged to learn, to read and write and to rebuild their confidence.
“The doctors and nurses took excellent care of us,” Tiruwork says. “They treated us with respect and gave us hope again.”
Healing and New Beginnings
After receiving fistula repair surgery, Tiruwork was cured and began to smile again. Before leaving the hospital, she expressed her gratitude to everyone who played a part in her recovery - the doctors, the nurses, the cooks and the teachers who looked after her and helped her regain her life.
They are the reason for my health and happiness. I will always be thankful for what I received from this hospital. I am going back home healthy, without any shame. Now that I am cured, I can go to church, markets and other places without embarrassment. I will stand confidently and happily. Thank you.
- Tiruwork
Tiruwork’s health and dignity has been restored, thanks to our generous supporters.
Click here to make a donation to help restore the life of another woman today.
Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Elders past, present and emerging throughout Australia and the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Traditional Owners of the land and waterways on which our Australian office is situated. We acknowledge the many ethnic groups in Ethiopia and their ancestral and cultural connection to the land where our work is undertaken.