Mesut Özil and Paul Pogbas children successfully operated in Tanzania

Mesut Özil and Paul Pogbas children

successfully operated in Tanzania

Football Stars donate for 22 lifesaving operations – a German 11 and a French 11
IFUNDA / TANZANIA - French-German relief during the EURO 2016: These two football stars have started the `BigShoe11‘ with the motto „Our goal is to help children“ just in time for the European Championship 2016 in France. 

The general concept: 11 professional players from different nations, that take part at the tournament, each overtake a sponsorship for 11 operations on children in Africa. Not only players but all fans are welcome to join BigShoe11.

 

The 22 surgeries on the children, who suffer with serious burnings of their skin or a club foot have been carried out during the EURO 2016 by an international medical team in Ifunda (Tanzania). The parents of these children could not afford these life essential surgeries.

One girl of Özil´s 11 is the four year-old Sarah. When she arrives at the hospital she hides her injury under a red jacket. Dr. Stefan Riml, a plastic surgeon from Hochrum (Austria), won`t be able to remove her scars, but after this surgery she will be able to move her torso and neck and especially her arms and fingers. The surgery lasts more than four hours – step by step the skin is being transplanted from healthy parts of the body to the burned skin . It´s a very exhausting surgery. Dr. Stefan Riml is very pleased after the operation: "Everything went very well. Sarah will even be able to move her fingers again. " Dr. Stefan Riml is part of the German and Austrian medical team.
Also from Pogba´s 11 there are success stories. The legs of the 6-year Shania were extremely deformed, a big ball would fit through. Dr. Annemarie Schraml from Cnopf'schen pediatric clinic from Nürnberg, an expert on extreme mal-deformations, said he had never seen such a deformity like Shania`s before. The deformation of the three-year old Shania does not restrict her vitality. She laughs, plays, hops around. But Annemarie Schraml knows, if she doesn`t get her essential surgery now,she will get many problems later on: "In future Shania won`t be able to run longer distances, her knees will be worn at the age of 20." This operation will put her bones in order. The surgeon Annemarie Schraml is very pleased: "Her legs have been repaired. In a few weeks time she will be able to walk normally. "

All in all, 100 chidren will be operated in the hospital of Ifunda, financed by BigShoe to EURO 2016. “We are very pleased that Mesut Özil and Paul Pogba started the BigShoe11 Club. Now we want our team to grow further, so we can pay for as many operations as possible“, says Dr. Igor Wetzel, the BigShoe-Founder.

„Fans will also have the opportunity to help with a little donation. Anybody, who wants to get involved can be part of the BigShoe family and do something good with the small amount of 11 Euro. Together with many football fans we are able to help more children in need.“, Dr. Wetzel continues.

BigShoe was founded before the World Championship 2006 in Germany. Since then BigShoe has been able to pay the operations for 1200 children in need by help of donations.