I have the most amazing story to tell you. This morning a young mother came to the Child Center. This is the first time that we saw her. She had a 1 year old baby that is mentally and developmentally delayed. She said that shortly after the baby was born he got a very hot body and had seizures. They took him to the hospital but he has never been able to sit up because his neck will not support his head. We gave them a baby stroller because the mother is a very small woman and only has one hand and the other hand and forearm is missing. It is difficult for her to put the baby on her back and carry him. While we were talking to the mother I asked her if she was born without an arm or if it was from an accident. She said that it was an accident that happened 4 years ago. So it happened when she was a teenager. She said that she was at school running with her friends and she fell and broke her arm in 2 places. She broke it at the wrist and mid way up her arm. She said that the bones were protruding out of the skin. She said that her parents did not take her to the hospital; rather they took her for local treatment with the local healer / bone setter. She said that the healer packed the break with herbs and wrapped it up. The healer told them to leave the dressing in place until he came back to check on it. He lived in a neighboring village. When he returned 3 or 4 days later and opened the dressing the whole arm and hand were rotten and the hand /arm fell off where the 2 bones were broken in the upper arm. Still the parents did not take her to the hospital. The upper bones were still showing. He packed the bones with local herbs and wrapped it back up. Every 3 to 4 days he came to the village to dress and repack the arm. Eventually he was able to get the 2 bones to detach from the elbow. After the bones were removed he did not sew up the wound; he continued to pack it and he tied it with a cloth. Little by little the wound began to close; after almost a year it healed completely! She said that she was in so much pain that the local pharmacist took pity on her and would give her an injection every night so that she could at least sleep. Can you imagine? It is a wonder that she did not die from infection! Of all the local healing stories we have heard this is the most amazing one!
It rained this morning so we did not open the Center until about 10:30. We did not have as many mothers today as we have in the past but everyone enjoyed getting the clothes.
The electricity went off during the night last night and it has been off all day today. Some of our neighbors have electricity. Steve went to the electric company this morning and they wrote up a work order. Some of Zorash’s neighbors are on the same line as we are and they said that when they complained they were told that one of the transformers blew. I wonder how long it will take to get a new one. Fortunately we have a generator so we are in much better shape than most!
Take care and have a good day!
In His Service,
Steve and Kandie
