It was both a fun, heartwarming experience as well as a sad and overwhelming experience at the same time. Doctors Without Borders is a wonderful mission organization that brings medical care to the least advantaged people in the world. Unfortunately, they have to work within the limitation of money and resources and the hospital reflects the fact that they are working in one of the poorest countries in the entire world.
Unless you've been to a country like this, it is very difficult to comprehend the magnitude of the poverty. When we think of poverty in the U.S., we often think of areas like the Appalachian regions of Kentucky, W. Virginia, etc. The people in those regions would be considered wealthy by Liberian standards.
We pulled up to the front of the hospital and had to be let in through a gate. There were only two cars in the parking lot which were probably hospital staff cars. Here are two pictures of the entrance.
The hospital is made up of several buildings and the staff have painted the walls to try and give it an upbeat, childlike atmosphere. I have no pictures of inside the hospital as we weren't allowed to take them but, let me tell you, the paint doesn't help. For some reason the place made me think of old prison cellblocks you see in the movies.
The main building was one long corridor and as you walked down the hall, you could look in the rooms (the rooms have no doors). What you generally saw in each small room were 3 - 4 beds with no linens or pillows and mosquito nets hanging over them, a small window that was open to the outside and 2-3 small children lying in each bed with their mothers sitting in the room on the beds. This hospital has 120 beds but usually has 240 kids in there at any given time.
There is no such thing as a private room or television or water pitchers or flowers sent by family/friends or couches or recliners or clean linens daily or a bathroom in the room with running water for drinking. The kids aren't in clean hospital gowns surrounded by toys - they are in whatever clothing their moms brought surrounded by nothing. In the building with the sickest kids, the kids just laid there unresponsive in their beds.
When we arrived, we went out into the courtyard and many of the kids and their moms came out to join us. We each had a project or craft ready - I was in charge of the coloring books and colored pencils. Since I'm not very crafty, I felt like that was all I could handle! Actually, they weren't even coloring books. They were pictures that one of our artist type crew members had drawn that the kids could then color. We also had face painting, bracelet making, stamps, stickers, balloons and kickball.
The kids were so great, smiling and just having fun. I had one child latch on to me right away and he wouldn't let me go anywhere without him. His name is Seku and he is 6 years old. Seku is developmentally delayed and couldn't talk and had some physical disabilities but he smiled the entire time! We sat next to each other and I found out that he could say his ABCs so we did that a lot. But he couldn't say any other kinds of words, not even his name. But then a group of moms started singing a praise song (not started by us as this is a secular-run hospital and we weren't supposed to do anything but entertain the kids) and Seku jumped up and started singing the song - well, kind of. He was singing some words to the tune they were singing but the only word I understood was Jesus. It was the only word I heard him say the whole time.
I met so many kids - Salome, Jibah, David, Blessing...and we had a great time. I got to hold a baby for about 15 minutes while his mom did some of the crafts. They wouldn't let me bring him home, though. When it was time to go, Seku ran up to me and I picked him up - then I swung him around in circles and he laughed hysterically. They had to pull him off me so I could go.
Sadly, while we were all congregated outside in front of the emergency room getting ready to leave, we all knew the doctors and nurses were inside the ER performing CPR on a very tiny baby that was in cardiac arrest while the mom was looking on. We never found out the outcome of that little baby - all I can do is put my faith in the God who created him or her.
This might be a good time to thank God for the healthcare we have in the U.S. despite its flaws. I will never complain again about having to wait in a doctor's office.
Peace, Michele
1 comment:
Wow! What an amazing experience!! It must be very difficult to see what you saw in the hospital, but you have grown so much, do you realize that? And, who said you are not good with kids? :) It takes a special gift to get a child attached to you like that. You are shining like a star, sister! Little Seku could see that bright light it you. Miss you and love reading your updates!
Post a Comment