April 22, 2006

  • Short Story

    Written April 11, 2006


     


    I just want to tell you a quick story…it’s one of many, but one of my favorites: 


     


    A Zambian man, Kelly, brought his wife Beauty to the clinic because she was very sick….but to be honest at the time I’m not sure who looked worse….her or Kelly.  They were both very thin like skeletons and drawn-looking.  Beauty had a high fever and large lymph nodes in her neck. It was obvious she had some sort of infection and was very malnourished. She was weak and dirty and understandably had no interest in breastfeeding her baby.  The baby also dirty just cried with hunger.  Kelly was malnourished, unkept but showed concern about his family and his inability to provide for them…he had no clue what was wrong with all of them.  He just knew he was too sick to work or make things better.  She and Kelly were found to be HIV positive and unfortunately so did their 13 month old daughter.  We kept Beauty in the clinic for three days on IVs and IV antibiotics while we drew their blood and took it into Livingstone for testing. After discharging Beauty, we took them both into Livingstone Hospital to get them put on the HIV meds.  We also gave them powdered milk for the baby with a couple bottles along with HEPS and a 25kg bag of mealy meal.  Kelly and Beauty have no family that can help them and he has been too sick to plant and work his fields. There is not enough food to feed his family which we found out also involved a ten year old daughter and a four year old son.  Kelly brought his ten year old daughter into the clinic the following week to be HIV tested and she was found positive also.  He then brought in the four year old son, but to our surprise, the son was negative.  So four out of five in the family have HIV!!!! The 10 year old girl named Gift was covered in skin sores from head to foot so even though her CD4 count was too high to qualify, they placed her on the medications due to her condition. It has been a month now and I wish I would have taken pictures in the beginning and then I would have had before and after shots, but unfortunately it’s hard for me to take pictures when people are so sick and literally dying.  Last Thursday, we took them into Livingstone for their review and the change is just miraculous….Kelly has gained weight and feels healthy.  He was even sporting a little goatee! Beauty is smiling and looking well and Gift’s skin is completely healed….sores are all gone.  They have a hope in their eyes that wasn’t there a month ago. The smile on Gift’s face alone is like looking into the face of Jesus.  It reminds us when He said….when you did it for the least of these, you did it for Me. (paraphrase)