John was brought to Amecet in October 2022. Again a sad story, his father died before John was born and his mother died 2 weeks after the delivery. He was a total orphan. He had lost weight in those two weeks and had an infection. The doctor started him on I.V. medication. He didn't want to drink, vomited a lot and had a bad cough. We struggled from the beginning with his health. John hardly gained and was very skinny and weak. We took him to several doctors, a lot of tests were done, HIV, sickle cell, a brain scan was done and a chest X-ray. We went to two paediatricians in Soroti, but all those tests came back negative. We didn't get a real cause for his "failure to thrive".
Everybody loved John, he could smile at you, with his beautiful big eyes and everybody wanted to do all they could, to help him. The relation with the family was not close. We called several times to the family, asking them to come for a visit, but they didn't come. John has been with us longer than normal, we knew that bringing him home in this state, would not be good. The family could not handle him, the uncle and his wife had a big family themselves and also the care for John's brothers and sisters...
In April, we decided to go to a specialist in Kampala, we wanted to know what the problem was and what we could do to help him. We did a barium swallow X-ray. and a echo of his heart. And nothing was found.. Another X-ray was made of his lungs and the doctor saw something on that X-ray.
Together with doctor Engulu was decided that it could be primary TB and two weeks ago John started on anti TB medication. Next to that we made a strict feeding schedule. Twice a day we had him at our steam machine, which helped him a lot.
We had hope, he took the anti TB medicines well, the vomiting was less and he was more happy, played more and smiled much more. You could hear him talking his baby talks and we really felt, it is going better.... Until Sunday, late in the afternoon it went terribly wrong......
John had drank his porridge really good and he was sitting in his little chair, Some time later one of the staff picked him up to take him inside and blood came out of his nose and mouth. They rushed him to the clinic next door, but it was over, his heart didn't beat anymore and he was gone....
Everybody was shocked and very sad, because John was loved so much. We called the family told them what happened and that we would bring the body the next day back to his village, to his relatives.
We let a coffin make and here our two nurses bring the coffin outside. We went with a team of 8 staff to bring John to his last resting place, among his own family.
The family placed the open coffin on a small table in front of everybody. People were crying and after a while the programme started.
After some time, a bed was brought and the coffin was put on the bed. The table was used for the basin on, where people could give their gifts, to help the family. This was a touching moment, the pastor prayed for the sisters and a brother of John, they are all orphans and live with the uncle's family.
During the short programme, where I as the leader of Amecet, had to give a report what had happened with John during his time with us in Amecet. I realised that John was two weeks old when he came in Amecet and that he was 8 months when he died. The family had no relationship with him, they had missed all those beautiful smiles and his cute baby talks...
After the programme the small coffin was carried to the graves, They had dug John's grave already and it was next to the grave of his mother...
It was painful to see that little coffin in the grave, but it is comfort to know that John has to suffer no more, no more injections, no more medicines, no more pain and no more cough, he is with Jesus and his suffering is over.
The Amecet staff is still shocked, it was so fast and so unexpected, everybody was sad today. We ask your prayers for the Amecet staff, because we have children to care for, a new baby was brought on Saturday and another one might be brought tomorrow.....
We are thankful for the time we could care for John and that we could love him. He is Home now.
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O lieve Amecet mensen, weer een hartverscheurende gebeurtenis. Ja met John is alles goed en jullie gaan hem weerzien, in het Eeuwige Koninkrijk. Maar hier verder met iedere keer het verdriet van lijden en afscheid...dat is zwaar! Ik bid dat God jullie verdriet lichter maakt, vooral voor jou Els, als je al die jaren al zoveel kinderen hebt moeten laten gaan. Alleen Vader kan je troosten en je hart vullen met Hemzelf zodat elke situatie te dragen wordt. Heel veel sterkte! Liefs van mij, Ineke Knoeff
Jullie hebben John gediend met zorg, liefde, eten en het beantwoorden van zijn glimlach...liefde heeft hij gekend. De handen en voeten van het Koninkrijk...John ging nog een stapje verder, hij is nu Thuis!!