Starving! (Part Two)

About 20 minutes after writing about Solivia, Brenda decided we needed to take her to a hospital.  I drove to Jinja with Brenda, Harriet and Solivia.  This was my first time driving to Jinja – a drive of about two hours but you are constantly passing trucks, dodging trucks that come head on at you, dodging bikes, goats, children, people, etc.  I was nervous when we finally arrived at the Jinja round about.

 

We had been told to go to Nile International Hospital.  I remembered seeing a sign on the road. So, we went to the sign and followed about 3 more signs in the failing light We found the hospital finally and it was heavenly!  I felt such relief.  Clean, modern, we were seen immediately.  Great! 

They did a liver and kidney test.  They determined that they could not admit her because it was severe malnutrition with edema which they are not equipped to treat.  They told us to go to the government hospital. [POP]  There goes our happy bubbles.

 

We told them we would rather not go to a government hospital, we have not have success in the past. They assured us this was different.  The nutrition ward was clean, orderly, run by an American.  They convinced us.

 

We got sketchy directions.  I began driving in the dark.  After some u-turns, asking directions, getting yelled at a few times, may car horns, one man actually beating on the side of my truck as he yelled at me, we found the hospital.  [POP]  The government hospital was not what they said!  Big surprise.

 

The place was full of sick children.  Crying children.  Children receiving transfusions.  Children lying naked on bare mats.  Malnourished, sickly, sad children.  Mothers with children lining the hallway floor, getting ready to camp out for the night.  

The hospital was full.  There were no beds. The best they could do was give her a grass mat to lie on the floor.  No net, no sheet, no blanket, no food, just a mat in the hallway.  I was overwhelmed to see all the mothers who took that option because they had no other option. They did not have two white women escorting them, buying them food, willing to pay for better care. Their only option was the free hospital that offers a grass mat on the floor.

 

 

 

We talked with the nurses on duty to find out what would be done during the night if we admitted Solivia.  They said that they would give her a protein fortified milk every three hours.  Period.

After much deliberation, calling and having a translator explain the options to the mother, we decided not to admit her to the hospital.

We took her to a guest house, where the four of us shared a room.
 

At 12:15 AM, we turned out the lights.  At 2:00, 4:00 and 6:00 we woke up, checked to see that the child was breathing. . . . . [WHEW!]  Then we would give her about a tablespoon of milk and let her sleep again.  It would take about 30 minutes to get her to drink that tablespoon but she would drink it.

We had breakfast around 8:00 then drove back to Namuwombi – Village of Eden. We spoke with the family to give them two options.  1.  Try a similar nutrition program in Mbale.  2.  Try to feed and care for the child here, feeding every three hours.  We wanted them to know there is a chance the child will die and that it does not mean that we did not do everything we knew to do.  They assured us they understood.  They said, “We have had four children die, before you people came around.” [SIGH, GASP]  So, the child is sleeping on a mattress in Brenda’s room.  We are going to go on shifts of watching and feeding.  

Starving!

As I write this post, I am holding a baby in my arms.  

 

 Her name is Solivia.  She is 20 months but she looks like she is less than a year old.  She is malnourished.   

 

We have begun caring for her during the day, trying to feed her every two hours.   Brenda feels that her life is in immediate risk if we do not intervene.  

She will not walk or even reach out.  She struggles to hold up her head.  She will sit up for a bit, but she starts make this pathetic whimper, like sitting is too much effort.  She wants to sleep all the time.  We are trying to keep her awake for longer periods so that she will get more appetite, eat more and get more nutrition.  I feel like I am torturing her by trying to keep the poor child awake!  She is really quite pathetic.  

We are going to take her for testing on Monday for testing to see why she is not gaining weight. 

She likes to listen to music.  She doesn’t like potatoes, she will eat posho and beans.  She will drink a bit of tea if it has a lot of sugar!  She is too weak to even begin to play with a toy.it really breaks your heart.

Solivia’s mother is one of five wives to the same man.  One reason she is malnourished is because the food is not always enough to go around for all the wives and children.  This a very common problem here in this area of Uganda – a man has multiple wives and cannot care for all of them and the children.

Please pray for Solivia.  Pray that she will gain an appetite.  Pray the tests will show us how to treat her.  Pray that we can make a difference in her entire family.   Pray we can share Christ’ love.

{About 20 minutes after writing this post, we decided we could not wait until Monday (today is Saturday) and Brenda and I drove the baby and mama to Jinja for testing.  That trip's post will come later .)

Isaac and Edrine

The boys with chronic bone infections finally had surgery!  

 

Robin Broom and Edrine, before surgery

Isaac before surgery

Edrine, one day after surgery, using his newly operated leg as a desk!

Isaac after surgery

 They are doing well so far, they have been released and will be staying at the VOE for a while. 

Pray for a complete recovery.  Pray we can reach their families with the Gospel.