Patient Stories

There were many people seen over the course of the week.  A lot of them had routine, common issues such as UTIs, malaria, stomach problems, body pain, etc.  I will do another post with more special stories once George gets back, but a few stand out in my mind.  Some, I was present for and others I heard about.

On one day, George was working with Taryn, a nurse, when a tiny patient was brought to them.  This child was very sick.  He was around a year old, but looked much younger.  He had pneumonia and was severely dehydrated and malnourished.  Both of them tried several times to start an IV on him, but were unsuccessful.  They were about to give up, but George decided to try one last time.  This child desperately needed the medication.  He prayed and found a vain.  They administered the medication and advised the family on follow up care.

Many patients came needing additional help.  Since we were only there for a couple days, our options were limited.  However, at least we were able to give them medication to start, educate them on their condition and give them guidance on further treatment needed.  One man came in with a nasty wound caused by diabetes.  He had been misinformed by a friend who told him to crush the capsules and stuff them in the wound.  Taryn was literally digging out pills from this wound.  A lot of people are misinformed by relatives, friends and local witch doctors.  This  man was thankful someone would take the time to help him.

Hearing about one little boy crushed me.  He was around 9 years old and came to get help for an eye infection.  They were severely swollen and crusted over.  He was so ashamed, he wouldn’t look at the team members in the eye.  They were able to help him, but what was so sad was that he was alone.  Alone he came to the church.  Alone he sat all day, patiently waiting for his turn.  Alone he saw the doctors.  Alone he learned how to apply the medication.  Alone, he went home.  I can’t stand the thought him suffering alone in such a bad condition.  One that could have been helped a long time ago if someone had taken the time to care for him.  He must have heard about the camp coming and bravely decided to come for help.  Dear Lord, please comfort this little boy.  Help him to know he is not alone.  Help him to know he is loved.

As I prayed with patients, one of the recurring requests I had was about troubled marriages.  Over and over we heard the same story – women left alone to raise and provide for many kids.  The men had left them for another woman or were off often on drinking binges.  Other recurring themes were chronic illness, missing family members, jobs, and school fees.  My heart broke for these ladies.  I couldn’t offer physical support, but I could let them know that I care and God loves them and is standing with them through it all. 

Stay tuned for more from George’s point of view…