Surgeon Helps Young Man from Kenya Live Independently

Dr. Edward H. Holliger IV Performs Surgery On Kenyan Who Lost Both Arms in a Train Accident

Resurgens Orthopaedics surgeon Dr. Edward H. Holliger IV has supported the Alpharetta-based non-profit, The 410 Bridge, since its inception. So when the group approached him about a young man who had lost both arms in a train accident, Dr. Holliger agreed to help.

The young man, Jack Odhiambo, was 21 when he lost both arms attempting to hop aboard a moving train. He has no recollection of the accident. All he remembers is running for his life, then waking up in the hospital to find that both his arms were gone.

"For so long, I wished that I had died under the wheels of that train. In an instant, I went from being a tough street boy to being a baby to people. I had to depend on people to do everything for me. Every night, I would cry to God to be dead," Jack said in a story posted on the 410 Bridge web site.

Jack remained hopeless until he met a man named Moses at a shelter in Nairobi three years after his accident. Moses encouraged Jack to move off the streets to live in the Christ Compassion Rehabilitation Center in Joska. There, Jack met volunteers from The 410 Bridge, who raised funds to send him to the United States to get medical help and be fitted with prosthetic arms.

Dr. Holliger examined Jack's case and felt he could "improve his range of motion, his prosthetic fitting, and ultimately, his function."

"I have been given a second chance for a reason"

"We performed his operation at the Roswell Surgery Center, and while his healing took slightly longer than we expected, he was ultimately fitted with his prosthesis and went on to living independently," Dr. Holliger said.

"I have been given a second chance for a reason," Jack said. "My dream is to be able to share my story of redemption and that God would use it to change lives. The biggest lesson that I have learned is that no matter what I go through, God has a plan and He will never leave me. I just have to keep seeking Him first."

After returning to Kenya, Jack said his goal is to enroll in Bible school, so he can pursue his dream of becoming a pastor.

The 410 Bridge works with churches and organizations in the U.S. to partner with communities to enable development and create relationships with people in Kenya. The organization's director of U.S. operations, James Ward, said the goal of The 410 Bridge is to enable the self-developing capabilities of the people of Kenya. The 410 Bridge works with communities and indigenous leadership to address the physical and spiritual needs of the community.

Dr. Holliger is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He graduated from The Ohio State University and received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. He performed his residency at Emory University. He completed a fellowship in Hand & Upper Extremity Microvascular Surgery at Duke University.

Dr. Holliger is affiliated with North Fulton Hospital and Northside Hospital and practices in the Resurgens offices in Cumming and Roswell.