Tuesday Novermber 1, 2005
Somewhere near 10:15 am a friend of ours came to the clinic in a hurry. He
had his littlest boy with him and Wendy saw immediately that he wasn't
breathing. She attemted CPR on him while we prayed. The little boy was the
son of Silu's (one of the teachers) sister. Affter probably 5 or 10 long
minutes it was apparent that the little boy wasn't going to make it. Wendy
began to cry and the father knew htat there was nothing more she could do.
When she blew into his mouth all you ould hear was the rackle of muccus.
The diagnosis, a respitory infection. That's all.
The sun was hot and the boy was still sweaty from their long trek to the
clinic. His skin was yellow an they told us that he stopped breathing maybe
ten/fifteen minutes earlier.
The previous Friday they brought him by the clinic and Wendy listened to his
lungs before giving him mediine for congestion. She instructed them to
bring him back if he was no better in 2 days. At that point he didn't need
an antibiotic but if he wasn't better in 2 days he would. Not hearing
anything from them since then, she assumed he had gotten better.
Then this morning the parents saw that the boy had tightness in his chest
and he couldn't brethe very well. They decided to take him to his
grandfather who is a big wig "medicine man" in this area and on their way
htye were going to stop by Wendy's. Upon getting no reply from Wendy on
their way through, (she was in the shower and didn't hear them) they
continued on to the grandfather's hous. It's a long ways and when they got
there they found it empty because his father had gone down to the lowlands
for a meeting. (a hike of about 2 hours)
Meanwhile the baby got worse so they started back for the clinic and it was
somewhere during that journey that he got so weak that he eventually quit
brethin. The frantic father hiked the difficult trek as fast as he possibly
could but to no avail.
When they arrived Wendy said, "get my stethoscope and pray." i saw her
hands shaking and I knew it'd take a miracle. silu came close behind and I
told him to pray out loud. As he did I heard Wendy doing the CPR and all
the kids from school came running.
When wendy stopped CPR and began to cry, the mother camea dn took her little
boy (less than 2 years old) and then the wiling began. Everyone around was
crying and the boy's father covered his face with his shirt and they kinds
just sat there exhausted and devastated.
Later that day people came in and out to pay their respects to the family
and the deck of the clinic was covered with people. I personally could not
imagine how the mother would ever be able to let go of teh baby she was
holding. It seemed to me that as long as she held it cradeled in her arms
there was still some life felt. To let go would be to admit there wasn't
and that would be the hardest thing for a mother to do.
I went back to school to see how Silu was doing and when class was over I
came back to see that the porch was still full of people and the mother had
set the boy down. he was not lying on the table in the clinic covered in a
typical cloak. it was strange to think that there was a dead little boy
lying there in the middle of everything and that was the reason everyone was
there.
More people payed their respects and when the grandfather finally arrived
from the lowlands he quickly did his ceremony of rubbing leaves on the body
and everyone watched what he did. When that was finished and they decided
where to bury him they gathered together a few guys and began the borrible
process of digging a grave. Then, as the parents watched they took the
child who still had dried snot on his nose, wrapped him in an old cloak, adn
carried him away , up the hill to the grave.
After burying him, the grandfather did a quick cleansing ceremony with water
and leaves. he sprinkled everyone who was there that had anything to do
with the body and then people began to depart.
Silu asked Wendy to pray again for his family while everyone was there and
after she did he prayed as well. Thanking people that came the family
slowly made their way back home now a whol lot slower than when they came
and with one less member to go with them.
The father comes around the clinic often now, he alot more down and alot
less talkative. He's so young....probably 20 years old...but absolutely
devoted to his kids.
A terrible ending to such a sad story, but God has a plan I believe and if
you would, please remember Silu's family in your prayers. Silu is the only
one in his family that is Christian. His sister and her husband (the
parents of the baby) are not Christian but they are good close friends of
ours. I wanna pray that this works out for the strengthening of Silu's
faith and influence on his family...and for the faith of his sister and
brother in law. Often times it's these things that make our faith stronger.
