New Years Day at the Orphanage

New Years Day was such an emotional roller coaster for us.....there were many ups and downs...we spent the entire day at the orphanage ....

Kelly and I worked for hours trying to determine the medical needs of each child...one by one they filed into a small room where we took a good look at each one, recorded their names, ages and marked them either malnourished, extremely malnourished, or needing immediate medical care....you are probably asking "How are they capable of determining that?" Well it doesn't take a doctor to recognize the signs of a starving child.....We were forced to make a painful decision...honestly, every child needed to be seen by a doctor but we could only afford an examination and meds for 30 children...so we identified the 30 sickest children and began making arrangements....

but first we had a celebration dinner....we brought whole chickens, rice, bananas, bread, etc...and the kids FREAKED out!! They were so happy....it was a moment when our hearts were bursting at the seams....we realized that a heart can feel joy and sadness all at one time....What was also interesting was how they ate in silence....each child consumed with the bowl in front of them...I don't think there was a single plate that wasn't licked clean....

After the meal Kelly and I loaded up the first 6 children and began the trip to the hospital.....Would you believe that we were actually turned down by two hospitals because it was a holiday! It was terribly disappointing...We both began to feel desperate and angry as we sat in a steaming hot car with 6 children....2 who could barely hold their heads up they were so exhausted....FINALLY we came to a children's hospital on the outskirts of Kissee....they argued with our driver for a little while saying the doctor was too busy....then the nurse finally came over to us...took one look at Baby Festus and called the doctor immediately...We were thrilled!!!

Now comes another downhill stretch....the doctor arrived and examined Festus first...he said the child (2 years old and less than 10 pounds) was suffering through the last stages of starvation...if he was not admitted he would die within days. I dont know about you but it was our first time hearing the noises a child makes when they are dying...we noticed these noises and had no idea what it was till that moment...It was horrifying...we were so thankful that they planned to admit him...the other 5 children were given medication and a meal plan and sent back to the orphanage...one child should have been admitted but was denied because there were not enough beds...we were forced to learn the difference between the "Dying" and the "Almost Dying".....

After an extremely long day...we left Festus behind at the hospital and returned home to our hotel, with beds, water, electricity, and a weight too big for us to bear....It was a horrible feeling to lay in our comfortable surroundings while the children suffered....we still wrestle with it...Since coming back to the states we just don't sleep very well anymore.....