We Called Her Bethany

This was the first really sick patient we had in Chambrun the first day. We couldnt understand her grandmother's pronunciation of her name but it was close to Bethany so that was what we called her. Her grandmother brought her to us posing as her mother. Her mom acutally was outside under a tree waiting. She was 16 and scared to death. They had no food since the earthquake and Bethany had nothing to eat for 8 days. Her body was swelling with malnutrition called Kwashikor. Her skin was splitting and sloughing off her body. She was somewhat alert. We washed her wounds and dressed them. We fed her pedialyte from a syringe which she sucked down like a little bird. She clamped down on the syringe with her teeth because she didnt want us to take it away from her to refil it. Being the first day of clinic we had not been connected yet to the helicopter service. We had to send them home with money for Tap Tap and pedialyte. The next day we had the helicopter in place. We sent people to find them because she had not shown up at the clinic like she was supposed to. They came back to report she had died.

While we were waiting for them another very sick baby came in. She went in Bethany's place on the helicopter and was able to make it to a hospital.

In our efforts to save her another was able to be saved. God works in amazing ways.

Steph