February - Different Focus

I’ve been quite remiss at keeping my blog up. Less is happening. The pace is more relaxed. My focus has shifted from assisting the nursing students to assisting Ruth with her NGO.

Last week we did get out to the villages to follow up on some of the people the Linfield nursing students had seen. One teen had suffered for several years from a scrotal hernia that had grown quite large. The students paid for his repair surgery, and he is overjoyed. So we checked in on him. He is doing well. He expressed concern for his little sister. She is 7, very small and sad. Apparently she had not been feeling well for sometime. She had a skin problem on her scalp and the inside of one of her elbows. But she also complained of itching all over her back. But there was no visible problem there. Ruth became quite concerned that she may be HIV positive, given the fact that her parents both died of AIDS (when she was 3), she seemed to be losing weight, and itching is a symptom. So the next day we took her to the hospital in Mbanga. They ran an HIV blood test on her and it was negative!!!! We were all so relieved. The doctor gave her some ointment the nursing students had left, and the girl was then a much happier child. You should have seen her eat bread later (very hungry!) and her smile was a major reward. We were not charged anything for this visit. Ruth wants to continue following both of them more closely since the care they receive seems pretty minimal (both in terms of food and clothing). I told the teen how lucky his sister is to have a big brother like him.

Then we saw the mother whose little 2 year old has cerebral palsy. The nursing student who had taught the mother some physical therapy exercises for the disabled toddler would be proud to see this mother’s follow through. The child no longer cried when her legs were fully extended or drawn up against her chest!

While we were still in that village, two teenage girls dropped by. They are orphans approaching the age when they will no longer be in the country’s orphan system. They asked about the students’ concern for their vocational training -- sewing apprentice and hairdresser. It would cost only about 60,000 CFA ($120) for each of them so I do hope the students decide to follow through.

Originally published: February 13, 2011