A lack of health care, extreme poverty, systematic insecurity, and a lack of education… This is what characterizes Haiti today. It seems like nothing is working in this country, and this makes it difficult for the poor to survive.
Madamn Aurelus had come a long way to the Jesus Healing Center Clinic. She was carrying her fourteen-month-old infant, Franker, who was coming to the clinic because of a horrible skin infection. He comes from a poor family of 6 people (parents and children) who lives mainly from a small garden. The shortage of water in the area forces people to walk more than three hours to find a source where they can draw water. This situation pushes Franker’s mother to leave his clothes on for more than 3 consecutive days before taking them off to wash them. This is what started Franker’s chronic skin infection. The baby was covered with open sores.
According to the testimonies of his mother, he has been suffering from it for five days. This takes away his appetite, makes him itch, and prevents him from sleeping. It was already a nightmare to find food for her children; imagine the torn heart of this mother who realizes that her child no longer wants to eat because of his pain!
Franker scratches all night and the more he scratched with his dirty fingernails, the worse he was! His mother could not afford to take a taxi (a motorbike) because the rising price of gasoline causes the price of motorbikes to rise. She had already lost a child and refused to lose another.
So, in desperation, she walked all the way to reach the Jesus Healing Center. When she arrived at the hospital, the medical team immediately took charge of Franker’s case. He had the opportunity to be diagnosed by our Pediatrician. Then the nurse cleaned his wounds with distilled water and Betadine. Then he applied antibiotic cream all over his body.
The Pediatrician advises Franker’s mother to boil his clothes and blankets and disinfect them, and no longer leave dirty clothes on her son. The mother was so happy to see her son relieved of his pain even before leaving the hospital. It’s a blessing and a good way to share love. Once again, we say thank you to all of our partners because without you all this would not have been possible.
Thank you, partners… I am sure the child had an infection plus scabies, and perhaps something else… but I was horrified to learn that his mother left his dirty clothes on for three days, simply because she did not have the money to buy water… so so sad. Sometimes, I wonder how many times my heart could be broken… over and over again? Keep on praying for Haiti. God bless you.
Sherry