Sunday May 9, 2010

Happpy Mothers Day to our followers and our nurses. Today was our last clinic. We treated 473 poeple today. One little girl had a fever so high, we were still talking about her at breakfast. She was treated immediately. Our clinical adventure started with the drive to the clinic. We had to take a dirt road that shook the van so hard, some of us may have to visit our dentists when we get home to check if our fillings are still seated. The road was red clay and very steep. It was the type of road that if it rained…..mmmm.

When we arrived at the clinic, there was no one waiting for us to help set up except two boys about 12 years old. One of the buildings had bunkbeds in them and they were covered with blankets. It was obvious they were living there. A large building at the rear of the property was selected for the clinic, and by then some women had arrived. They swept the floor with branches; the boys brought in the old style writing tables, and we were set up. The crowds were all dressed up in their Sunday best, and I would guess they had attended church before the clinic. Closing the clinic again was problematic with pushing, shoving and yelling. Again, we managed to get the children from the back of the line into the clinic and get them treated. Adult males always are at the head of the line, with old women, then younger women and the children. It is as if the children are not important to the society until they can demonstrate they can survive. It is not uncommon to see very young women, ie: 21 or 22, with four children. How they survive, I can not tell.

Now the rain…oh yes, it poured. Our van took four of the nurses from Kisumu to the road so they could catch public transportation home. As Joseph, our young driver, was returning, he slipped off the road and was stuck. We waited and waited as Aggrey and our doctors walked to the van and pushed it up the hill in the pouring rain. There is no electricity in these areas and there was some concern we would be spending the night as the worst case scenario. They finally arrived; the van was quickly packed, and we took the long way out on the wet and slippery dirt road. So much for getting home early yesterday.

There are mixed feelings at the end of this mission. We are tired and ready to come home but my mind keeps going back to who will die today because we aren’t there. It is a reality in this country. Thank you for all your support, both emotionally and financially. I have posted photos previously but I understand they are floating about in cyber space. I will try again, but if they don’t come through, I will post them when I get home. Take care and talk to you again.