Beginning the Battle March Admits
In the month of March we had a bit of a baby boom. We admitted 7 children, 4 of whom were infants under 8 months. We are busy with baby cuddles and sweet healing smiles, peppered with some big kids, and their dynamic, big personalities in the mix.
On March 3rd 6-month-old, 9lb baby “W” was admitted. W was severely malnourished and suffering from kwashiorkor. Tiny W fought hard and with the assistance of F75 therapeutic milk, he was able to be stabilized and quickly gained weight. After just 30 days in inpatient care, W graduated at a very healthy 12lbs 10oz.
On the 8th of March, 8-month-old "N" was admitted, also suffering from kwashiorkor. She weighed 11lb 3oz. N has lost all of her swelling and is now working on putting on a healthy weight. Her mama is staying by her side for her treatment.
Also, on March 8th 20-month-old “G” was admitted after being diagnosed with kwashiorkor. He weighed 19lbs 12 oz. He has responded very well to treatment and will soon be ready to go home with his mother, who has been staying with him during his treatment.
On March 16th, 13-month-old “L” was referred to Middle Ground by a neighbor who had just been training in our community advocacy program. Her mother was told that the sickness her daughter was experiencing had a name, “marasmus”. She was also told of a place that treats kids like “L” and directed to Middle Ground. Upon admission, L weighed 12lbs 4oz. She is currently being treated on our Medika Mamba program.
The 17th of March was a big day at Middle Ground, because we admitted our 500th patient, 6 month old “JR”. JR was suffering from kwashiorkor and despite being extremely swollen, he weighed just 8lbs 7oz. He and his mother come from an area that is plagued by severe malnutrition. After several days at Middle Ground our doctor became concerned that JR may have serious underlying conditions, and the decision was made to transfer him to a hospital for further testing. We are supporting JR and his mama while they are at the local hospital, and hoping that he will be able to return to us to continue his recovery soon.
Finally, on March 31st we admitted our last 2 patients of the month. The first was 15 year old “J”. J is much older than the children we normally treat, but when a local nurse from a rural clinic a few hours away contacted us, our doctor immediately accepted the referral based on her photo. When she arrived (after a helicopter medivac from her village to us) we were able to determine that she weighed just 57lbs. She has already had some good lab results, and we are praying that she will stabilize soon and we will see a miraculous recovery touch her life. J is accompanied by her Aunt.
Our second baby of the day was another tiny one, 6-month-old “L” who weighed in at 9lbs 6oz. He is still band new, and being stabilized on F75 therapeutic milk. His mother is by his bedside comforting him and getting to know our staff. We are looking forward to building a relationship with this family and learning how we can best support them, both in L’s recovery, and their eventual return home.
What a sweet bunch of babies we have the honor of helping heal! Will you please join me in praying for W, N, G, L, JR, J, L, and their caregivers. It is my prayer that each of these little ones would find full and complete healing at Middle Ground, and that they would see their futures transform as a result of their time with us. Please pray in faith with me.
No responses yet