God will Provide

Today is another day that broke my heart. Did you know that your heart could be broken so many times? Let me tell you the story.

Today we had a lady enter near death. She was suffering from a severe case of PEM (Protein-Energy Malnutrition). A literal case of starving to death. This is something we see far too often but what stole my heart was that with her she had newborn twins. Her twins also, were suffering from marasmic kwashiorkor due to the fact that mom has no breast milk..... I am acutely aware that 3 lives hang in the balance.

This young mom was unable to stand due to weakness and severe anemia. Her laborious breathing audible as she struggled to take each breath. As she lay on IV, I watched her stomach heave on her tiny sunken frame and I prayed. As I listened, her neighbors told the story of how they brought her in. 

She has 4 children actually. 2 boys at home and 2 month old twins. The children’s father died this year...he was killed in a car accident. Without him, she has no money and no job. She slowly slips away. Her neighbors usually keep an eye out for her, but without enough money of their own, they can only be a friend. This particular day, they had not seen her at all. Seeing her young boys playing and hearing the twins crying they finally go in to see where she is. She is there, lying on the floor, too weak to get up. Her friends bring her to the Mission of Hope where they have heard there is a good clinic with good doctors. 

With the mother on IV waiting for blood tests that tell us the function of her body systems, we check out the babies. Her twins are 2 months....they can not lift their own head, they do not cry, they weigh 7lbs. Although they are delayed, they do have some body fat and show signs of hydration. They have a chance. 

 As I rush to get this family what they need, electrolytes, good formula, protein supplements, some food, and multivitamins we realize our limitations. We are out of the intramuscular iron we need and we do not have any more iron supplements. 

At the end of the day, the clinic is closing, our young mom still desperately in need of rehydration and protein rebuilding is sent home. We are not equipped to hold patients overnight. Before she leaves, she asks if our orphanage will take her babies. I tell her encouragingly that we are going to get her better so she can care for them herself. 

As I watch her leave packaged up on the back of a small motorcycle, I gaze over at the hospital expansion project that is started and I thank God for the future vision of a 24hr E.R. that is so desperately needed here.