Saturday 10 May 2014

Bleak house

He came to the hospital yesterday with his head bandaged with a hankerchief.

No, he did not have a toothache.

He had been drinking alchohol and did not want Sheba to know.

He was here to 'look after' his wife - who is admitted at JSK.

She is sick.  Very sick.  She has disseminated tuberculosis.

Both are HIV positive.  He has TB as well but has stopped his free medications.

The bottle is stronger for him.

We had told them to get an ultrasound for her 2 months ago.  We had offered it at a concessional rate at our parent hospital.  They did not take it.

Instead, she was admitted at two other hospitals.

She did not get better.

No - she does not have TB is what they said.

But now she is hardly alive.

She is here now.  She only weighs 30 kgs.  No appetite.  Vomits up the meds.

Her three children were all part of the Vacation Bible School that JSK organised this week.  3 among 100+ kids.  Almost all of the kids have at least one parent who is HIV positive.  The kids were like all the others - laughing, playing, enjoying the songs and food and personal attention from the teachers.

And yet their mother was at our hospital.  Very sick.  Their father was out and about.  Mainly drunk.

The grandmother - a sorrowful figure if there is ever one - was the one looking after them at night.

And so it goes.

We wish we had a magic button to press.  Where everything will turn right instantly.

We don't.

But we do what we can.  And trust that God will turn the most hope-lessly-mucked-up-situations and relationships - into something new.

Pray for Mrs. Tamam.  We want her to pull through.  We want things to change for her and for her husband.

And for her three precious children.

Though the situation is bleak - we are glad we are here.

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