Yesterday morning a boy named Jimmy, who is about 11, came to orthopedic clinic for a dressing change. He had lost his right lower leg and when the dressing came off, it was not pretty. I worked with Warren, a volunteer surgeon from Tyler Texas, who removed the stitches all around the stump and then removed some of the dead tissue. It was painful for the stitch removal but it was just so scary for this boy. Warren worked gently and we cleaned it up and dressed it, putting a cream on it that is usually used in burns. Tears came down Jimmy's face and there were a few grimaces but he was so brave. After he had a new dressing he smiled and said "Merci" Although I was afraid to ask, I did and was relieved to hear his family is alive and intact. We will see him again on Monday.
I got restless during a quiet period in the clinic so I went upstairs to the wards to look for lonely children. There was a volunteer in one room who directed me to Morris (8Mos?) who rarely has visitors. He was sitting in a high chair so I went to play with him. That was unsatisfactory so I picked him up and he snuggled right in. We walked the upper deck. For clarification, the hospital is built in a large rectangle, 2 connecting squares which encircle courtyards of grass, trees, plants and religious statues. He was enthralled by the helicopters which circle fly in and out frequently. So we walked, and snuggled and laughed. Morris has a mediocre cleft lip repair and heaven only knows what else. But he is awfully cute with that lopsided grin. Unfortunately I had to return to the clinic so Morris had to be put back in his lonely crib.And of course he cried and I felt terrible. So is it better to snuggle a while and break a heart or to just let them be lonely?
snuggle a while ... definitely!
ReplyDeleteI agree with dad; it's so sad, but better to know you're loved for a while than to never know, right? You'll go find him again I hope... and pray that somehow he knows he's not simply being abandoned again when you go home.
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