Knowing there are children dying in Africa is hard, but seeing a child die is terrible. Milani gasps for breath as he is brought into the Pediatric Ward, he’s only 2 months old. A severe pneumonia, maybe TB or HIV, it looks serious. I continuously walk in to see how he’s doing. His mother looks at me with pleading eyes and asks hopefully, “is he going to be all right?” But Milani gasps, his little body is shocking up and down . We pray together and put this small unique human being in Jesus’ hands. When I walk away the question pops in my mind whether this boy will be able to celebrate his first birthday. When I hear the heart-breaking cry of his mother a little later, I know he will not. It feels deeply deeply unjust. He could have become a boy, a man, if only…
An experienced pediatrician helps me to see the bigger picture again. In recent years hygiene and nutrition have greatly improved and therefore, certain diseases are becoming less frequent. Moreover, there are good treatments for many diseases. Of every 40 children who arrive in Bongolo deadly-ill, 39 go home healthy.
But every life counts, and I pray for the family that is mourning, and I pray that God will use me; so many children will have a future. Please pray with me.
Thanks for posting the link to this post on Facebook. I appreciated your sharing this experience so we can join with you in prayer for the family – and also for you guys.