Mr Rai, Spinal Surgeon and Spine Aid organiser tells the story

Mr. Norrish is a surgeon who trained with us at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. After qualifying, he went to Zambia to work with the CURE foundation (cure.org) and encountered children and adults with phenomenal disabilities.

When he sent me details of 20 children with tremendous spine problems, I decided to do whatever I could to help.

I first travelled to Zambia in January 2008 and was overwhelmed by the number of cases that I saw. On that trip, I operated on four children who had significant disabilities.

The operations were successful and these children walked out of hospital, their outlook significantly improved now they had the chance to lead an independent life.

I have returned to Zambia several times since then, travelling with a number of other healthcare professionals.