We started the weekend off with a bang, going from pool to beach to favorite local eatery. I was so blessed by this as I had the inevitable "transition jitters." What am I doing here again? Did I make the right choice? One such adventure was the African carnival. As it was one of our friend's last weekends in Africa, he wanted the excitement of entrusting his life to African ferris wheels. We all went along for the experience. ay ya yai.
Now, moving right along. They are short on nurses right now, especially with all the sicknesses ravaging crew on the ship, so I was put right to work. Honestly, though, it was just what I needed. I needed to love on some kids and be reminded why I fell in love with them in the first place. These kids are so brave!!
One such brave little hero of the week was Aimee.(pictures following) This little 4 year old boy was suffering from Burkett's cancer.When I arrived they told me he was just here for his third dose of chemo. This cancer (which really only exists in subtropical areas due to the fact that it attacks children who have been immunocompromised for a long time from malaria and are consequently bit by a certain type of mosquito) is usually treatable if the child receives three doses of chemo within a very tight time-frame. In 80% of cases you can actually visibly see the facial tumors shrink within a day! Aimee, however, was too sick for this chemo. He had contracted a respiratory infection and therefore the chemo was a few days too late and had spread to his lungs, liver and lymph nodes. My poor little boy was suffocating to death and it was miserable to watch. His mother went from having a healthy little boy only a few weeks earlier to being told that she was going to lose him. As this was her only boy she was hysterical, literally pulling her hair out. What was beautiful out of this was to see the other patients care for her. One patient in particular who had a deep love for the Lord and was healing from surgery himself would walk over to her several times a day to lay hands on Aimee and pray for him. When we could do little, her fellow Africans stepped up.
Aimee passed away on Wednesday in his grandmother's arms. His mother had gone home as it was too unbearable for her to watch.
All I can pray is that God will "turn her mourning into gladness" and "give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow." Jer 31:13.
On a happier note, my heart was FILLED with joy when I had a very special little visitor!! Maomai was a tiny 4 lb baby girl that I cared for in the ICU three months ago after a very intense surgery to remove a massive taratoma from her neck. She was expected to die and we were especially worried after she would not eat or gain weight. I called her my "little peanut" as I spent countless hours on my night shifts holding her and trying to feed her. This week she came back for a visit..and she is BEAUTIFUL and best of all...CHUNKY! :) Praise the Lord. :) Her mother was beaming and it made my week.
before...
our chunky "little peanut" with her happy mama!
Okay what else can I go on about...? :) For some more fun I sang a worship song in Spanish with my friend Juan as we were celebrating all the different cultures on the ship. I don't seem to really fit into any certain culture... :) Also I got to dance and eat ethnic African food on Obama beach for a goodbye party that Davey's African friends threw for him. They know how to have fun!
Overall it has been a wonderful week, jumping right back into life in Africa. It has been full of ups and downs, concluding with a very long stay in bed as I have had the joy of contracting a stomach bug. I don't think I have ever lost that much in the way of fluids! And I definitely wanted my mommy..:) But God has a way of slowing us down when we need it which was good for me. Thanks for your prayers!! Please keep in touch. Angela
No comments:
Post a Comment