Kenya clinic day 2

Sometimes, things just don't seem fair. And today was one of those days. We saw just over 200 patients, in a village far from any paved road, about an hour and a half outside of Malindi. It was remote, a few mud huts and a lot of vegetation. The Kenyan HCWs and the US medical team worked together seeing patients, with light drizzles of rain and bursts of sunshine taking turns throughout the day. We saw lots of malnutrition and a host of other diseases, and we all agreed that the children we saw today were sicker than those we saw yesterday. There was also a clear difference between the health of the sponsored children and those who weren't sponsored. The sponsored children were sick, but the others were much sicker. Gives some affirmation that what MoM does for their children gives them at least a much better chance at life. And so what about this "life isn't fair" issue? Without getting into details, we saw 2 children who had significant medical issues which could have been addressed and the children made better, but due to circumstances, they were not going to be able to be helped. They were un-sponsored children with complex medical issues that would involve a great deal of resources, time and commitment. The sadness of it all was that if done right, both would be able to go on and life better lives. We struggled with the questions of should we jump in and start the process of diagnostic tests, referrals to specialists, and recommending advanced medical care, or leave well enough alone, knowing that unless we did this right and committing to see it through all the way (years of specialized medical care, etc), we were only giving false hope for a better tomorrow. To start a process and then abandon it half way through just doesn't make sense and just should not happen. There is a right and best way to do things. And the right and best thing to do here was to leave well enough alone. Sounds cold and uncaring doesn't it. But here's the question I pose of you: would you have done anything different and if so would you have been able to make a 100% guarantee of full commitment? Because if you couldn't, that child living in the bush of Kenya, will be waiting for the promise of cure and a better life, becoming more and more disillusioned with life than he was before. There is nothing more heart breaking than a broken heart from a broken promise. So we decided as we did and that is the reality of third world medicine. There are just some things we just can't do. You turn away and hope that they don't see the tears in your eyes. Life isn't fair is it. Today was bitter sweet. We helped a lot of children, were gifted with colorful T-shirts from the village and walked away from 2 who needed more than we could give. And I'm so sorry for that. Can 2 children with very special needs find it in their hearts to forgive? I hope so.
In all things give thanks,
David
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Kenya clinic day 2

Sometimes, things just don't seem fair. And today was one of those days. We saw just over 200 patients, in a village far from any paved road, about an hour and a half outside of Malindi. It was remote, a few mud huts and a lot of vegetation. The Kenyan HCWs and the US medical team worked together seeing patients, with light drizzles of rain and bursts of sunshine taking turns throughout the day. We saw lots of malnutrition and a host of other diseases, and we all agreed that the children we saw today were sicker than those we saw yesterday. There was also a clear difference between the health of the sponsored children and those who weren't sponsored. The sponsored children were sick, but the others were much sicker. Gives some affirmation that what MoM does for their children gives them at least a much better chance at life. And so what about this "life isn't fair" issue? Without getting into details, we saw 2 children who had significant medical issues which could have been addressed and the children made better, but due to circumstances, they were not going to be able to be helped. They were un-sponsored children with complex medical issues that would involve a great deal of resources, time and commitment. The sadness of it all was that if done right, both would be able to go on and life better lives. We struggled with the questions of should we jump in and start the process of diagnostic tests, referrals to specialists, and recommending advanced medical care, or leave well enough alone, knowing that unless we did this right and committing to see it through all the way (years of specialized medical care, etc), we were only giving false hope for a better tomorrow. To start a process and then abandon it half way through just doesn't make sense and just should not happen. There is a right and best way to do things. And the right and best thing to do here was to leave well enough alone. Sounds cold and uncaring doesn't it. But here's the question I pose of you: would you have done anything different and if so would you have been able to make a 100% guarantee of full commitment? Because if you couldn't, that child living in the bush of Kenya, will be waiting for the promise of cure and a better life, becoming more and more disillusioned with life than he was before. There is nothing more heart breaking than a broken heart from a broken promise. So we decided as we did and that is the reality of third world medicine. There are just some things we just can't do. You turn away and hope that they don't see the tears in your eyes. Life isn't fair is it. Today was bitter sweet. We helped a lot of children and walked away from 2 who needed more than we could give. And I'm so sorry for that. Can 2 children with very special needs find it in their hearts to forgive? I hope so. I'm asking for it.
In all things give thanks,
David
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Kenya day 1 clinic

Amazing day. About 1.5 hrs out of Malindi, all dirt roads, we set up a clinic, examined patients (almost 300) outside under a tent canopy, and dispensed pharmacy from a mud building. The HCWs worked with us, using what they had been taught in class, and seeing patients. We weighed and assessed the nutritional status of every child we saw, identifying 50% of the children we saw as malnourished. The usual diseases, malaria, pneumonia, skin rashes, TB, a few suspected cases of HIV, and parasites, made up the most of what we saw. Children got a meal of rice and beans at mid-day, and off they went. The afternoon clinic was much the same. Another day of practicing medicine in Kenya. So different that what I was doing just a few days ago in the US. Taking care of severely ill and injured children in a 10 million dollar pediatric intensive care unit, with everything I needed. Today, it's dirt and sand, medicines out of boxes and baggies, a generator driving a computer we're using to input the nutritional assessment data, mud huts, mosquitoes, no bathrooms, children who haven't seen a doctor ever, and the life expectancy of these children of about 35 years. Go figure. Is one place better than the other? Of course the technology and the immediate availability of things needed that I have in the US would trump what we have now. Not so. What we have here is not always available in the US. Acts of giving with wanting nothing in return. Covenant relationships. No insurance forms, no billing, no co-pays. Just agape. The act of giving love without need for anything in return. The HCWs are showing it. Their first time holding the hand of a patient who has come to them for help. And they have taken that hand and held on tight. Unafraid, graciously and caring. It is so wonderful to see. We will leave behind a group of dedicated teachers and pastors who have accepted the role of caring healer openly and selflessly. It's really has been an amazing day.
In all things give thanks,
David
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Kenya Day 1

We arrived in Malindi and went right into teaching the review course for the Health Care workers. 4 hours of lectures and practicing physical examination skills. We're all tired. Clinics start tomorrow. More tomorrow. We all can barely stay awake.
In all things give thanks,
David
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Kenya arrival

We made it to Nairobi. Midnight here. 1000 lbs of medicines and suitcases and team members. 1 suitcase and 1 med box lost. Sleep for a few hours then catch a plane to Malindi. We have just begun.
In all things give thanks,
David

Kenya: August 20-39, 2010 - -It begins.

Somewhere, there are children who haven’t really had a good night’s sleep, possibly because they are hungry, sick, alone, or scared. And that somewhere could be anywhere. The US, Europe, southeast Asia, and Africa. Tomorrow, Medical Mercy leaves for Kenya to be with those children. It’s been an interesting process. The team came together, a few had to drop out, medications ordered, some didn’t arrive, 100,000 vitamins are tied up in shipping somewhere here in the US, we found 100,000 vitamins in Kenya that we are purchasing last minute, we found out that extra luggage will cost a lot of money, flight connections coming home are tight, we hired a truck to take all our stuff from Nairobi to Malindi due to the small aircraft that we’ll be flying with that truck driving 10 hours to get stuff to us on time to start clinics (hopefully), packing over 6000 unit doses of prescriptions, preparing for 5 hours of lectures to be given to the Health Care Workers for review, and…the list goes on. But, is all that important? Not really, because from where I sit, the team that is going, has everything they need. Him. I have always said that the most powerful tool, the most powerful medicine that we bring to the bedsides as caring healers is…ourselves, and what we have in our hearts. Grace, compassion, empathy, understanding, trust, integrity, and love. We are silent servants taking hold of the hands that have reached out to us for help. We leave tomorrow. We’re privileged to be able to go and hold those hands.
In all things give thanks,
David

Kenya Medical: August 20-29, 2010

I just heard the news. Medical missionaries killed in Afghanistan, reasons given by the murderers: evangelism. So very far from the truth. So very far from any understanding of how such hatred can make people do what they do.  But so it is. We, team members of Medical Mercy, have found ourselves on some occasions (Cambodia, Egypt, Mozambique, Haiti), falling within the boundaries of such hatred, within the boundaries of danger, but thankfully protected by common sense, trust, planned security, preparation of the team with clear instructions for evacuation, code words to be used, and faith. Yes, faith. No different than the medical missionaries who were murdered.  And so how is it different for us? It isn’t really. We open ourselves up to danger, understanding that it is there, praying that it doesn't happen, and thankful for when it doesn’t. I make every effort to make sure the team is safe and protected. Many of the members on trips have seen  that. Many too, are unaware of what is happening behind the scenes, without their knowledge, to keep us safe. And yet, even with all that, anything can happen.

With all that, we depart for Kenya August 20th. Right now the team stands at 14 members. The team members are caring souls, who give of themselves to serve others. We will be working along side the 16 Kenyan teachers and pastors who I trained last year  to be Health Care workers. We will be seeing over 2000 patients in 5 days. We will be traveling to the coastal area of Kenya, Malindi,  going to more than 8 projects, all of which are desolate, isolated, poverty stricken, and burdened with disease. Over 1200 forgotten children. Forgotten for now, but not for long. We’ll be there to make sure that they are given every chance to live a long and cherished life.

This will be quite a journey. Just wait and see.

In all things give thanks,

David

New Delhi, India: Day 6

We finished our last day of medical clinics, and in 5 days saw 2000 patients, dispensed over 10,000 prescriptions and prayed a whole lot. And with all this comes a sense of remorse for not being able to do more. How silly is that. Okay…perhaps not so silly.

When I look back at the 5 days we spent working in some of the worst slums in the world, I see a little speck of light in the otherwise dark cloud that hangs over the lives of these people. The smiles of the children, the glisten of tears of thanks from the parents, and the soft touch of a calloused hand that has felt nothing but garbage all of its life, gives me solace in knowing that at least for now, for even a brief moment, they feel worthy of being valued. They feel the warmth of dignity, the pride of being recognized as human, and the love that they may not have felt for a very long time.  We in turn, felt saddened, angry, frustrated, and confused at the indignities they suffer. But now, we must let all of that go, and realize that it is not easily fixed. What we did do, is leave behind a memory for those who choose to remember, the short time we spent together. The “slum dogs” and us. A memory of being valued and loved. No pity was shown, for that is not what they need, nor I would guess, is what they want. But empathy, compassion, and caring, all of which is sometimes very hard to do and give. This team, this group of 12 servants, did all that. Erica, Greg, Amy, Grant, Ashley, Kelly, Anne, Heather, Jesse, Gretchen, Sarah, and Cammie. Well done silent servants.

There are no pictures this time. I want you to close your eyes and see yourself in what I’ve described to you. I want you to see yourself living in a slum and being called as dog. I want you to make your own picture. And then burn it. You’ll not want to look at it again. But do one more thing for me. Every time you feel like you’ve been dealt a bad hand, give thanks for it, because it will never be as bad as what has been dealt to the “slum dogs” of  India.

In all things give thanks,

David

New Delhi, India: Day 5

Sangam Vihar is one of the largest unauthorized colonies in Asia and has a population of close to 2 million. We only saw a very small part of it. The” Rag pickers” slum is one of the many slums within this unauthorized colony and the rag pickers slums have some of the poorest people I’ve ever seen living in absolute inhumane living conditions.

There is no potable water for people to drink. Slum Clusters (houses) are made of plastic and  low cost materials. People go to the city very early in the morning to collect garbage and bring it back to their slum and sort the garbage into plastic and  metal, for re-cycling. The schema of how this works is beyond comprehension. A wealthy landlord owns 1/8th acre parcels of land. He hires a “contractor” to manage theses properties. Rag pickers rent a 1/8th parcel of land to live on. The rent is about $300 a month, much too expensive for one just one family. So 9 families share that 1/8th parcel of land, and share the monthly rental cost. Once the garbage is sorted, a bushel bag of let’s say plastic is sold to the contractor for $1. The contractor in turn sells the same bushel to a recycling plant for $50. A large portion of that goes to the land owner, the contractor keeps some, and the rag picker gets a dollar. You can begin to see how many bushels of garbage needs to be picked and sold to the contractor for $1 in order to pay the rent and live. Parents do not want their children to go to school as they are needed to go out and collect garbage in order to add to the income of the family. This is one of the neediest areas for medical care as almost 20% children do not see their 5^th birthday. These people are from West Bengal and speak only Bengali which makes it difficult to get jobs to earn any better income. This is where we spent the day today. This is where we saw 346 children. This is where we began to understand that no matter how hard we try, we’ll never know why life is dealt out the way it is. The haves and the have not's.

For now, we just keep going, waiting to see what tomorrow brings. And hope that it is a little better for those who live here. It is a difficult time for us. Asking questions, knowing that there are no answers. Why young girls are sold to the sex trade. Why people are kidnapped, drugged and operated on, only to wake up and find that both of their kidneys have been removed and sold for a great deal of money, and they now will die unless they can find the money to pay for someone's else's kidneys. I know that I will close my eyes tonight to go to sleep , but will find sleep illusive, as the questions are posed over and over again all the same. And if I do fall asleep, I pray that I dream that those whom I saw today, find a better life. It’s been said, that dreams can come true. Will you dream with me?

In all things give thanks,

David

New Delhi, India: Day 4

Once in awhile we realize that all things are possible especially if you believe it. And today was one of those days.  An incredibly gifted US Medical Mercy medical team, working with an incredible India team from MoM project 253,  saw 600 patients. In one day. Without fanfare, thorough medical examinations done, prescriptions handed out, patients prayed with and for, and with not one…not one complaint, excuse, or question. I saw silent servants giving of themselves for others. I believe.

We came back to the same slum community that we were in yesterday. There are as you remember, over 2000 children who are cared for by the ministry of Pastor Koshy and his wife Joicy. 600 of those are MoM children. We decided to see as many of the the children as possible, and between yesterday and today, we saw 1000 of the children. We must move on to another slum community tomorrow, but we will be back. Soon.

This slum community is rift with evil. Drug addicts, parents selling their children for $500 to gangs never to be seen again just to feed the drug habit, girls as young as 12 years old being married off and having children at the age of 13. I examined a 26 year old woman today, who had 5 children, the first one at the age of 13. Her husband is a drug addict, abuses her, and sells her. Pastor Koshy and I spent a lot of time with her. 1 of her children is a sponsored MoM child. she never looked at us, wringing her hands, never shedding a tear as she told her story. She had lost her emotions. We examined children with dark make up on their eyes to ward off the evil sprits. They were Hindu and Muslim. We looked past the things we didn’t understand or agree with, and took care of those who came to us. Judgment is left for another time and for someone greater than us.

This slum, this place called home for the many who live here, is beyond description. The pictures may help you see it. But the feeling, the closeness of living in a small 4x8 foot room with 9 other people, can’t be shown. It has to be felt by standing in that room as I did, and feel the darkness bury my senses until I had to escape. The little boy however knows no other life.

So, it is really true that all things are possible. 6 of the teachers that work in this MoM slum project and who worked with us today, were once themselves slum “dogs”. They were taken in by Pastor Koshy and Joicy, at the age of around 12 years old, and were sponsored by those who cared enough to love from a distance. They all “graduated” from this MoM project, went on to get their teaching degrees and came back to be with those who came from the same place they themselves once escaped from. And one day, maybe that little girl who was saved from being sold and is cared for here today, will be a teacher also. Caring for those who are no longer forgotten. Sometimes you’ve just got to believe all things are possible.

In all things  give thanks,

David

New Delhi, India: Day 3

After a 45 minute drive we came to a main street packed with tuk-tuk 3 wheel taxis, over crowded buses, people carrying a variety of goods on their heads, bicycles loaded with merchandise and cows. Several cows. Each of which had a command of the traffic and ruled the right of way. It’s India. Where cattle are sacred and people are dispensable. Across the main street was  slum that  was to be our place of work for the day.

Kalkaji is situated at South Delhi and Navjeevan (New Life) Camp is situated right within the city. This is one of the largest slums in New Delhi. It has a population of over 150,000 people with as a large population of children: 40,000 children under the age of 14 years. The slum is known for its drug addiction, prostitution, and rampant crime. The population consists of people mainly from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where being illiterate is the norm and consists of a labor class people who earn less than $2 per day. As most of the men are drug addicts or alcoholics, the income they receive is just enough to pay for their habits and as a result the women have to work as servants or prostitutes. The children  stay at home to take care of each other or their siblings and rarely attend school or venture out of the slum community.

There is no water facility. The children have to carry water from the water trucks that come in and fill centralized water tanks.  The children eventually get caught up in the cycle of poverty and illiteracy and become that which they have been born into: untouchables. And it those children who we cared for today. We saw 400 children today, with many more to be seen tomorrow. The team worked hard and without complaints. A few members of the team were feeling a little under the weather and a little IV fluid helped get them through the day.

Malnutrition is rampant. Over 70% of the children we saw today were grossly underweight and were moderately or severely malnourished. We saw children 12 years old who weighed 35 and 44 pounds. One child whose name is “Rocky” captured our hearts. That is his real name. “Rocky”. He is 12 years old and weighs 35 pounds and is 44 inches tall. Standing next to me, gives you a striking visual of his size. “Shamu” and “Rocky”.

Just as were were packing up to go a 10 year old boy was brought in seizing, We quickly went into resuscitation mode, but unfortunately did not have the right drugs to stop the seizures, so we gave him fluids, IV antibiotics, and sent him to the hospital. We hope to find out tomorrow how he’s doing as we are going back to this area.

From those who have to those who have not, there but for the grace of God go we. I can’t imagine living like this. I wrote about our time in Haiti and how devastating that was. And I also mentioned that it is like that in many places that we go to. It is times like these that give me pause to give thanks for what I have and more importantly for what I don’t have: a life like what these children have. We left them with a little bit of something I hope. A certain sense of comfort knowing that no matter what they are, poor, destitute, dirty, sick, and malnourished, it is who they are, a child,that matters most.

In all things give thanks,

David

New Delhi, India: Day 2

We began our 5 days of clinics with an unexpected treat. We came to care and we were cared for. Before we  even started the day’s clinic, each of us had a garland placed around our neck by the children that we were to eventually see. Grace. Freely given, humbly received.

We were at The Life Center Academy which is a Christian run school located in at Satya Nikethan in New Delhi. It is located in an urban area but surrounded by many slums, that comprise of Ardak Pur Gaon, Nanakpura, Vasant Gaon, Bapu Dham, Sanjay Camp, Indira Colony, Tank Jhuggi and Shastri Market

The total population of the area is approximately 50,000 consisting over 10,000 families. More than 25% of the population in these slums falls below the poverty line and of these approximately over 40% of the children have no access to any kind of education.

The Life Center Academy’s primary aim is to cater to these children and help provide them with an education which they would not be able to avail of under regular circumstances. The Academy also has a special school where they take care of children with special needs. These children who are in the special school have certain disabilities like mental retardation, hearing disabilities and speech disorders, autism etc. Due to these disabilities, these children are not able to attend regular classes and the special school tries to help the child develop so that in future they can be integrated into the main school. This is one of the few projects in our 22 countries where a formal special needs program is established.

We worked long and non stop, breaking for 45 minute to grab a Chinese lunch, then back to work. The team worked together as if they had been doing this over and over again. smooth, cooperative, collaborative, and supportive. This clinic is to be the easiest of the 5 that we are going to run. The children for the most part were relatively healthy, but malnutrition effects almost 40% of them, We did a comprehensive nutritional assessment using a computer program on each child calculating their nutritional status. We learned that visual impressions are not what they seem. The most healthy child, turns out to be moderately malnourished. A fact that can go missed, giving that child the chance of delayed development, and possibly an early death. As a result of the assessment, I'll be putting together a comprehensive nutritional rescue program that will make as diffidence in the  childrens lives within 6 months of taking part in it.

And the stories. Most are happy ones. Abandoned children who were found, rescued and cared for. Then there are the sad ones. To share the sad stories time after time, makes it seem like I single them out, but they do tell the harsh reality of life here. Like the 11 year old girl, who was found in a part of the city known for prostitution, and brought to MoM. She came to us today complaining of abdominal pain, and was seen by one our medical staff. I took her aside, and with a female interpreter, gently asked her some questions that would help me in determining if she was sexually harmed, and if she had a sexually transmitted disease. She tearfully shared her story, not one that I need to repeat, but simply to tell you that she is now being treated and will be counseled and loved as she should be. I held her for a very long time. She will do well. Grace. Freely given. We start again tomorrow.

In all things give thanks,

David