We took Mohamed for a Doctor's appointment today at the hospital in Antigua: Hermano San Pedro. The group of doctors were from Faces of Hope. Really great group that comes out of the Rotary. They have people here that coordinate and they send teams of medical folk all over the world as volunteers. Our little boy has a Cleft Palate, but is ineligible for the procedure because of his age and the likelihood that he'll never learn to speak. Also, there may be scar tissue from an earlier botched procedure and that would make the surgery significantly more risky. The Doctor turned to me and said that he needed dental work. I thought to myself, "no more than the other 70 kids he lives with." but I kept quiet and think we may actually have a new dental connection here in the capital.
Coincidentally, today there was a half Marathon in Antigua. I was able to watch a bit as we had a five hour wait in the waiting room to see the docs. We also lucked out because there was a miscommunication where we were told they were going to lunch and to come back at 2:30pm. We started out and the rain started. Then we learned they were closing the admittance area at 2:30 and we would have missed the opportunity to learn that our kid can't have the operation. We could have spent another full day waiting to find this out. God definitely has a plan.
Also, I attended a really moving Mass. The hospital is also a residential center for many disabled and wheelchaired folks. It was quite emotional to see the different levels of participation and attention to the Mass. Most are in wheelchairs or hybrid transport beds. Many new the words to the Prayers and were attentive. I felt so Blessed to be able to share this special time with them. Also, our social worker, Marcia was with us the entire day. I have the utmost respect for her professionalism and commitment to the children. Many of the government employees do not want to give up their days off for work related initiatives. She is not like that and really makes things happen for these kids. We have had several children able to return to their families. That is a huge success. Thank you Marcia.
Also, I attended a really moving Mass. The hospital is also a residential center for many disabled and wheelchaired folks. It was quite emotional to see the different levels of participation and attention to the Mass. Most are in wheelchairs or hybrid transport beds. Many new the words to the Prayers and were attentive. I felt so Blessed to be able to share this special time with them. Also, our social worker, Marcia was with us the entire day. I have the utmost respect for her professionalism and commitment to the children. Many of the government employees do not want to give up their days off for work related initiatives. She is not like that and really makes things happen for these kids. We have had several children able to return to their families. That is a huge success. Thank you Marcia.
No comments:
Post a Comment