| As
I entered the pediatric ward I was immediately struck with the figure
of a person sitting at the very end of the ward … they looked
so frail … bald … sad … and at first it looked as
if they had been burnt all over their head …
I
was trying very hard to remain focused on the patient that I was
there to care for but I was so drawn to find out more about this
obviously desperate person. While at the nurses station we were
asking about this young person. Turns out she is a young lady of
17 years and she was ready for discharge from the hospital. We offered
to buy medications or anything that she may need but the nurse assured
us that they were complete …something we thought was very
unusual for someone that has no watcher caring for them.
We
went back to our young child but still curiosity and concern won
over and two of went over and sat on her bed and began to talk with
her. At first she was uncomfortable with our presence … I
could just talk with her for a little while because I feel very
deeply moved by her condition. As we sat and held her hand the only
part of her body that didn’t have any wounds the tears began
to flow down her cheeks over her pussy wounds … she whispered
I just want to be healed …
She
informed us that she was abandoned by her parents at the age of
2 years and was left with her aunty … she had reached grade
6 and wants to be a teacher. And that she has been in the hospital
for 2 months because she had severe pneumonia.
Then
before I knew what I was doing I asked her if she wanted to come
and live with us as we would be able to love her and provide all
the care that she needs. It was a bit of a shock because the words
literally came out of my mouth before I realized what I was doing.
To my shock she said yes … meaning the reality of her coming
to our house was beginning to sink in.
If
you could have seen her condition and status in that place …
if you could have smelt that stench of stale urine … seen
the cat running under the bed … seen the people all starring
and pointing and asking personal and stupid questions. If you could
have seen the rags that she was wearing for clothing … and
felt her heart when the tears fell down her cheeks you too would
have been compelled to ask her into your home. At first we thought
she was burnt but there is just such a terrible infection all over
her face and head … she has wounds all over her body …
ulcers and bed sores. Oh my gosh … I was immediately reminded
of when we first found Salvador in the same hospital being treated
the same way … and suffering the same humiliation and sense
of desperation and hopelessness.
Our
hearts were overwhelmed with love and concern for Liza … we
wanted her to know that we weren’t just wanting to talk to
her and ask questions and then leave her … so in a kind of
desperate desire to let her know we loved her we rushed off to the
nearest shopping mall to buy her a pink t shirt with a butterfly
on it and some matching pants. She also wanted some ice cream …
When
we came back she was soooo happy with the clothing and the ice cream
it was worth every peso spent. It was perfect timing because her
Aunt was there too and we were about to ask if Liza could come and
live with us when before we could speak her Aunty blurted out that
she has no money for the hospital bill and that although the hospital
is saying she is ready for discharge she doesn’t want her
there because her face still looks swollen and ugly! And they don’t
have any more resources to buy her ongoing medical needs.
So
we offered to take her off her Aunts hands and we paid the bill
and took her with us … there and then. Liza weighs 24 kilograms
… and is 17 years of age.
She
wasn’t able to walk as she was so weak and frail. So we had
to carry her on a chair everywhere. It wasn’t until we took
her clothing off to change her that we saw how desperate her condition
was. I
had brought Salvador to the ward when we came back to pick up Liza
and he just stood in front of her and wept as he remembered his
time and condition in the same place. He was deeply moved as he
looked upon her and saw the level of her suffering. He spoke words
of encouragement and showed off some of his scars and shared of
the power of love in action and how she has a future and a hope
in Jesus. It was awesome and deeply moving. There isn’t a
single member of our team that hasn’t been deeply affected
by her condition and suffering … we have a strong faith that
Liza has a wonderful future before her.
Her
Aunt came to the house with us because she hadn’t eaten and
she wanted to see where Liza was going to be living. We went out
and bought her some clothing … a mattress and other things
that she will be needing while she is living with us.
When
we returned we gave them both food and then took the Aunt home because
some of the girls from the house wanted to know where Liza had been
living.
When they returned from the house they were all crying as they relayed
the conditions that Liza had been living in.
She
was literally living in an area where the chicken cages are …
in a dark place under a house. Dirt floor … rubbish all around
… as they were sobbing in between words they were saying how
our chickens live better than where Liza was living.
Her Aunty lives in a house very very small but not a chicken cage
like Liza was living. This is what has given her this terrible infection
… she is allergic to chickens and being in this environment
has nearly cost her, her life. She was living worse than most animals
…
We
decided to help the family that had treated Liza so badly with food
and clothing …medicines … toys and anything else we
could gather together from our house, we have seen so many times
love melt the hardest of hearts. So 9 of us launched out on a midnight
grocery drop! This was the only time we would have to go there as
we had many appointments for Liza medical needs.
When
we arrived the family was obviously asleep but they were excited
to wake up to gifts of food and the other things we had brought.
We took this chance to take photos of where Liza had been made to
live and understood the desperate situation of this young girl …
how could we return to that place …. ??? There was no door
on the front of the place and you had to crouch down on all fours
just to get into the place where she was to stay. The floor was
dirt … and the stench of urine was overwhelming because the
family that lived upstairs would just urinate through the bamboo
and it would land where Liza was made to stay. The rats, cats, cockroaches
all roaming freely in this place that was Liza’s home.
It
is no wonder that she had such an infection over her face and body.
Right
Liza on IV antibiotics
It turned out that Liza suffers from the condition called Lupus.
She was untreated and under such stress … that it was worsening
her condition. We discovered there was some heart and kidney damage
but remarkably that is recovering and she is doing well.
This
is Liza today … she is doing well.
|
Stories 
