There is a picture of him below; we're really praying once this has been removed the sadness in his other eye will slowly disappear and he will be able to be a 3 year old once more. Will keep you posted..
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
Alex
Just wanted to update you all on a little boy I saw in admssions on Friday. He has been suffering with a growth from his right eye (medically known as a retinoblastoma) for 3 months now. He is 3 years old and he came with his mother from the north of Togo seeking help. Thankfully the CT scan we performed showed no metastases in his brain so we were able to offer him an operation today. This will be to remove the growth and eyeball (it has become necrotic and is weeping and is causing him a lot of discomfort and pain) and to fill the defect in with a flap of the temporalis muscle (the one at the temple).
There is a picture of him below; we're really praying once this has been removed the sadness in his other eye will slowly disappear and he will be able to be a 3 year old once more. Will keep you posted..
Alex
There is a picture of him below; we're really praying once this has been removed the sadness in his other eye will slowly disappear and he will be able to be a 3 year old once more. Will keep you posted..
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Noma
Noma or cancrum ocris is a gangrenous infection which affects those who are caught in extreme poverty and malnutrition. Over 140,000 new cases are reported to the WHO every year and of these the majority affect the so called 'noma belt' of sub saharan countries from Senegal to Ethiopia.
This infection, if caught early, is able to be treated with simple antibiotics but if left will ravage and eat its way through skin, muscle and sometimes bone. In the West it largely disappeared from society towards the end of the 19th century as a result of improved living conditions and nutrition amongst the poor. Here in West Africa it remains a huge problem, often called the 'true face of poverty'. It has a high mortality rate; 90% of patients suffering with noma will die; meaning of the 140,000, 126,000 die every year.
If they survive they are left with permanent disfigurement that will render them ostracised by their communities. In addition they may also have functional impairment which can cause starvation as noma begins with mouth ulcers and the scar tissue formed following the infection can restrict jaw movement or even destroy lips.
One of the ways Mercy Ships serves the people of West Africa is through the complex work of rebuilding faces ravaged by noma. This happens on the maxillo facial ward, ward D, on board and recently we have had the joy of watching these patients begin on this long journey.
They include; Toyi, an older gentleman in his 60s who sometime when he was a child suffered with noma leaving him without his nose and part of his left cheek. The hole gaping in the middle of his face where his nose should be has been filled with a tissue flap taken from his scalp which with further operations will be remodelled into a nose. He has changed from an old man, who was impeded by not being able to speak with most people because of his tribal language of northern Togo which is not spoken near to Lome and who would not meet your eyes. Now he smiles, looking into the mirror at his new nose. He has also served as a great comfort to the man beside him, Papakey, who has also had the same operation, as he was several weeks ahead in the timeline of healing! His lack of nose was not a victum of noma but a machete attack.
This infection, if caught early, is able to be treated with simple antibiotics but if left will ravage and eat its way through skin, muscle and sometimes bone. In the West it largely disappeared from society towards the end of the 19th century as a result of improved living conditions and nutrition amongst the poor. Here in West Africa it remains a huge problem, often called the 'true face of poverty'. It has a high mortality rate; 90% of patients suffering with noma will die; meaning of the 140,000, 126,000 die every year.
If they survive they are left with permanent disfigurement that will render them ostracised by their communities. In addition they may also have functional impairment which can cause starvation as noma begins with mouth ulcers and the scar tissue formed following the infection can restrict jaw movement or even destroy lips.
One of the ways Mercy Ships serves the people of West Africa is through the complex work of rebuilding faces ravaged by noma. This happens on the maxillo facial ward, ward D, on board and recently we have had the joy of watching these patients begin on this long journey.
They include; Toyi, an older gentleman in his 60s who sometime when he was a child suffered with noma leaving him without his nose and part of his left cheek. The hole gaping in the middle of his face where his nose should be has been filled with a tissue flap taken from his scalp which with further operations will be remodelled into a nose. He has changed from an old man, who was impeded by not being able to speak with most people because of his tribal language of northern Togo which is not spoken near to Lome and who would not meet your eyes. Now he smiles, looking into the mirror at his new nose. He has also served as a great comfort to the man beside him, Papakey, who has also had the same operation, as he was several weeks ahead in the timeline of healing! His lack of nose was not a victum of noma but a machete attack.
Toyi
Papakey
The third is a little boy called Moukaela who was seen previously on the 2010 outreach when Mercy Ships were here in Togo for wounds and scarring from noma. His surgery was scheduled then but was unfortunately unable to be complete because his wounds failed to heal. He is a boy who has contractures from scar tissue caused by noma, causing his little mouth to be unable to open properly; permanently pursed into the centre and his jaw to be frozen in place closed. As you can imagine this makes eating, drinking and talking difficult as well as the fact that he constantly drools saliva; making school impossible as children are punished if they are dribbling onto their books and desks.
His mama is such a caring and patient woman who has looked after him since 2010 desperately trying to promote his healing. He had the first of what will be many operations in an attempt to allow some closure and to regain some functional status of his mouth. Initially we seemed to be winning but recently the saliva which is still continuing to pool has caused his wound to break down and it is infected. Please be praying for this wound to heal; in our strength and capailities it is impossible but we look to a God who is powerful, sovereign and can do the impossible. If it doesn't heal this time he faces many more years of being ostracised, not receiving an education until we can offer more of a permanent and radical operation when he is a teenager. Please be praying for strength and comfort for his mama as well as she seeks to care for him and his little brother. God has already been showing his goodness and grace as even for the few short weeks he has been with us he has already changed into a happy, laughing little boy, once realising that we all accept and love him as he is. What a reminder of how God looks upon us, even with all our sin and shame.
Moukaela
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
What is our message?
Every week, on a Thursday and a Sunday, we meet as a whole crew to have fellowship together and to have some bible teaching. There's also a ward service every sunday morning with all the patients from the three wards; it's great to see everyone together and a real reminder of the unity we have in the body of Christ.
The wards are packed on a normal day; with patients and caregivers on and below the beds. To fit the 40 people that we fit there we have them on the beds and then the relatives (and often more of their small children) sleep on mattresses underneath! This can make ward rounds and examining patients quite difficult as you can inadvertently kick or tread on them as you go round!
Ward services are led by the patient life team; who do an amazing job on a daily basis with leading time with the patients both in the morning and evenings during the week. They also act as a constant presence on the ward getting to know the patients and their backgrounds and lives as well as difficult home situations. This has involved speaking about addictions to alcohol, bereavements and grief as well as involvement in voodoo and issues surrounding that.
In fact the man this refers too was a patient I saw in admissions yesterday. He is a farmer from the north of the country and is married with 6 children. He is suffering with a very large hernia, which extends to his knee, and since this has been unable to work and support his family because of the pain this causes. He stopped going to church as felt his prayers were being unanswered for help and support and found that people in church were mocking him for his deformity, which is visible through clothes. He still sent the rest of his family but ended up turning to voodoo, animal sacrifices and alcohol in a last attempt for help and to ease the physical pain he was suffering. As part of the history we take in admissions the question about alcohol consumption is always raised and he sheepishly told me he drank a lot and has done for a couple of years. He volunteered the rest of the information as we sat with him and he told us how he was a sinner in need of rescuing. We were able to explain the gospel once again to him and prayed with him and he excitingly asked us for a french bible so he could read again on the ward. Praise God and please be praying for him and his family, as he first undergoes the operation and then as he returns to his family.
The ward service run by the patient life team was just a great reminder for the fact of who is doing the real work here; it's not the medical teams but it's those who are administering spiritual need to the patients on a daily basis. Ultimately it is God's work; Psalm 115 v 1.
As so often happens God brought together a number of things, which I had been thinking about on the sunday meeting. We were asked the question 'What is our message?' and it just underlined the importance of keeping the news of the gospel central amongst all the hospital happenings. We are here to be the hands and feet of Jesus in all situations, whether with patients, fellow crew or day workers. Has been a frustrating few weeks in some ways; I had had images of just being able to work all the time and serve God in that way. However have come to realise that this was me being proud; God has plans beyond what I can see and it may be that it's a friendship, a conversation or simply a good morning and the handshake (which I'm still not quite up to speed with!) which I'm here for.
The below quote is from one of our Togolese day workers, who we partner with..
This is a powerful mission.
Imagine you, you are sick
you are hopeless
you have no money
and then somebody says,
'come we will heal you'
Then you live on board with everybody else
and you see the way they love each other
and the way they love you
This is powerful
This is the gospel!
The service ended with a daily question to challenge us...
If people had your life and they were asked the question, Has Jesus risen from the dead? How would they answer? Has he?
The wards are packed on a normal day; with patients and caregivers on and below the beds. To fit the 40 people that we fit there we have them on the beds and then the relatives (and often more of their small children) sleep on mattresses underneath! This can make ward rounds and examining patients quite difficult as you can inadvertently kick or tread on them as you go round!
Ward services are led by the patient life team; who do an amazing job on a daily basis with leading time with the patients both in the morning and evenings during the week. They also act as a constant presence on the ward getting to know the patients and their backgrounds and lives as well as difficult home situations. This has involved speaking about addictions to alcohol, bereavements and grief as well as involvement in voodoo and issues surrounding that.
In fact the man this refers too was a patient I saw in admissions yesterday. He is a farmer from the north of the country and is married with 6 children. He is suffering with a very large hernia, which extends to his knee, and since this has been unable to work and support his family because of the pain this causes. He stopped going to church as felt his prayers were being unanswered for help and support and found that people in church were mocking him for his deformity, which is visible through clothes. He still sent the rest of his family but ended up turning to voodoo, animal sacrifices and alcohol in a last attempt for help and to ease the physical pain he was suffering. As part of the history we take in admissions the question about alcohol consumption is always raised and he sheepishly told me he drank a lot and has done for a couple of years. He volunteered the rest of the information as we sat with him and he told us how he was a sinner in need of rescuing. We were able to explain the gospel once again to him and prayed with him and he excitingly asked us for a french bible so he could read again on the ward. Praise God and please be praying for him and his family, as he first undergoes the operation and then as he returns to his family.
The ward service run by the patient life team was just a great reminder for the fact of who is doing the real work here; it's not the medical teams but it's those who are administering spiritual need to the patients on a daily basis. Ultimately it is God's work; Psalm 115 v 1.
As so often happens God brought together a number of things, which I had been thinking about on the sunday meeting. We were asked the question 'What is our message?' and it just underlined the importance of keeping the news of the gospel central amongst all the hospital happenings. We are here to be the hands and feet of Jesus in all situations, whether with patients, fellow crew or day workers. Has been a frustrating few weeks in some ways; I had had images of just being able to work all the time and serve God in that way. However have come to realise that this was me being proud; God has plans beyond what I can see and it may be that it's a friendship, a conversation or simply a good morning and the handshake (which I'm still not quite up to speed with!) which I'm here for.
The below quote is from one of our Togolese day workers, who we partner with..
This is a powerful mission.
Imagine you, you are sick
you are hopeless
you have no money
and then somebody says,
'come we will heal you'
Then you live on board with everybody else
and you see the way they love each other
and the way they love you
This is powerful
This is the gospel!
The service ended with a daily question to challenge us...
If people had your life and they were asked the question, Has Jesus risen from the dead? How would they answer? Has he?
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