Tears streamed down her brown, dirty face with outstretched arms grasping for one final embrace to the woman who fed, clothed and raised her. Behind stood her 2 story wooden house, barely able to support itself with dirt floors and bed sheets for walls.
"Don't leave Momma!" We could hear her cry in Creole.
As we pulled away, her mother collapsed into the arms of my friend Rosne, exhausted from being taken out of her bed; red-hot with a fever of 106, respiration rate of 40, blood pressure of 80/50 and a heart rate of 150. Even to the non-medical provider our patient's situation seemed emergent.
Rosne calmly explained to us that this 4 year old girl had just lossed her 2 year old brother in December to an unknown illness and the last time she saw him, he was being taken to the hospital just as we were doing with her mother.
Dr. Fernando and I sat solemnly in the front seat of my car, knowing how grave the situation was but that we had to try our very best.
Our 32 year old patient didn't just leave this four year old girl, but another small daughter and a one month old son born prematurely in January. And her husband. A hard working, yet abusive man who didn't provide much support for our patient or her children.
Our patient's eyes were sunken in and her hip bones stuck out, the closest to a person suffering from starvation that I've ever seen. She could barely speak as her mouth was so dry from dehydration.
We knew it would be difficult to get her the help she needed, Haitian's are not usually given preferential treatment in the DR. Let alone this woman. Who only a week earlier had left the public hospital against medical advice convinced her ailments were caused by demons and an exorcism was the only remedy.
I prayed our entire drive to the hospital which seemed to take forever as our patient's moans got louder and I tried my best to avoid every pot hole in the dirt streets that act as our primary mode of transportation. I glanced into my rear view mirror and saw my visiting students wide eyed as they experienced medicine in a new and frightening way.
When we got to the hospital I was immediately thankful that I work with a Dominican Physician who loves the Lord and our patients as much as I do. He managed to get her in quickly and conference with the ER doctors immediately.
The following 10 days were filled with challenges and unknowns. She was transferred to the closest big city twice, given multiple blood transfusions as her profound anemia continued to worsen and treated with multiple antibiotics.
But, on Thursday February 5th her body gave up and she left this Earth. Just like that.
This past week we visited the family of our patient and prayed with them. There is talk of sending the kids to La Vega to live with their aunt. Hopefully she can provide for three more mouths, especially a nursing infant.
My heart is so heavy.
I know we serve a God that gives and takes away. But the taking away for those left behind is so hard. Three children are now left without a mother. How much hardship can one family bare in such a short period of time?
So please, keep this family in your prayers.
That through all this pain Christ may be known and glorified. Our patient accepted Jesus into her life several months ago at Pastor NoJean's Haitian church so we rejoice that now she is in a place surrounded by only joy and eternal nourishment.
We will continue to make regular visits to this family and walk beside them. Please join us in embracing them.
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