Hospital

Sunday Felis, Adrianna and I took three children to the Hospital just down the road from Eagle's Nest.  A group off doctors from the States is here all week providing surgeries to women, children and men under the age of seventeen.   Regular policy at the hospital is operations are only done if life threatening. Otherwise you have to go to a private hospital and pay for the care.  We arrived at 8:00 and stood in line about hour before we could fill out paperwork.

Victoria has a constant runny nose and Felis wanted to see if they could help with that.  Victoria doesn't have an ear on one side and just a tiny part of one on the other.  We wanted to see if they could possibly open the canal on the side with no ear to help with hearing and possible the constant drainage.

 They said that was something that could be done but would be an extensive surgery and not something they could do.  They gave us antibiotics for her runny nose and said if that doesn't help she may need to be checked for allergies.

 She has little glasses that attach like a headband but are hard to keep on since she doesn't have ears. She is just adorable and has improved so much since I was here last.

David, pronounced Dauveed, is three years old and has been here under a year.  He was brought to the home because of abuse and neglect in his home.  His little lips look like this most of the time but he has a beautiful smile. (didn't catch it on camera)

 He constantly has tears in his eyes and he has a male issue that needed to be checked out.  The first doctor that saw him lifted his shirt to hear his heartbeat and asked me about a scar on his stomach.  I told her I didn't know what it was from.  She said it was from trauma so I explained his background.
It is from some sort of blow to his body. She then noticed that his pointer fingers weren't functioning normally and looked more closely at them.

He uses them fine and can do everything so she said she didn't think necessary for surgery.  Probably caused from trauma.  Looks to me like his fingers were broke and knuckles didn't grow properly.   His male issue will have to be taken care of at a larger hospital.   I simply can't imagine anyone abusing a baby so badly to cause that or the type of scarring he has on his body.  I got to love and hug on him alot for we were at the hospital several hours.

Nahum is 13 and has webbed hands and feet.  Pedro and I took him to the hospital at 6:00 this morning.
Check in here is quite a bit different than in the States!   The surgery was to separate the fingers on his right hand.  They will take skin graph from his stomach to use on his fingers.

His left hand has seven fingers.  The thumb and  three fingers are webbed together.  That surgery will be more extensive and can't be done at this hospital.  He was embarrassed to show them his feet.  Hopefully after the hand surgery he will feel more comfortable with process and can get a consult next time.  Felis and Pedro have been told that the foot surgeries would require numerous surgeries and take about three years.  He can do anything any of the other boys do and plays soccer very well.  His webbed feet does make it hard to find shoes for his feet are so wide and he wears them out very quickly.

Once the doctors realized Pedro could translate they came and asked him for help many times.  One little boy had to have his foot amputated.  Several cleft palate surgeries.  Gall bladders were removed and much more.

 Nahum asked that we take a video when he was coming off of anesthesia but the doctors wouldn't allow us back in that area.  Here he when they wheel him out.
He was very cold, they have no heat or air in the hospital and most patients come out of recovery so bundled up you can't tell who they are.  We sat with him in the recovery room for about an hour and tried to get him to eat some crackers and drink some gatorade.

 He was very dizzy and we just couldn't keep him warm.
Once the nurse gave us Tylenol 3 to take home for pain off we went.  Pedro didn't see wheelchairs nearby so he got a workout in for the day.  Nahum was very wobbly when he tried to walk.  He would also be most upset with me if he knew I was posting all these photos so mum is the word!!

Little did we know that while we were on one side of the hospital Ana, one of the mama's, had brought Christina into the Emergency room.  She fell off the monkey bars and broke her arm, will be in a cast for 4 - 6 weeks.   Good thing the hospital is right down the road!!

Nahum will go back friday so they can take the bandages off and see how it is doing.  It will be a couple of weeks before he can use his hand at all and he can then slowly start moving them.  It will be important that he move them in next couple of months so that he has normal use of them.  He is unable to hold a spoon with his left hand because of how it is webbed so the next couple of weeks he will be dependent on many for help.
So glad he is here for he will get the love and care needed after his surgery.   Please keep Nahum and Christy in your prayers as they heal.

Pedro is truly a father to all these children, plus a wonderful father to three of his own.  He and
Felis are amazing.  Love them and all they do here for the kids.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105