A Week's End

Thursday, Clement called me to tell me that the baby had been discharged and that the two guardians were waiting for me to take them back to the village. I met them at the hospital and the little boy looked a bit better but he is still way too tiny and way too weak, at least his eyes were clear. I dropped them off and promised to return Saturday.

I also saw Margret in the hospital, she was conscious and in the process of being transferred out of ICU to a medical ward. She was so happy to see me (although I think she might be confusing me and Deb but I'll still accept the love), gave me a big hug and wouldn't let me go. I told Deb and she promised to visit Friday night.

This morning I found the aunt with the little one wrapped to her back, just a tiny head peaking over the chitengi. He is so frail. I fantasize about watching him transform into a chubby little boy who will run and jump and scream just for the fun of it. Now, looking at him I hope he will hang on to life. I stayed in the village for about an hour. Long enough to get teary-eyed a few times and long enough to feed him a small bottle of formula. He is still to weak even to suck, I just squeeze a bit in his mouth and wait until he swallows and try not to let him choak. His poor little mouth is covered with sores caused by yeast and the aunt is treating him with an antifungal but I'm not sure if it is improving. I imagine his little immune system is completely overworked, trying to keep down so many small insults without the help of a mother's anitbodies from breastmilk.

There is a wonderful Austrailian pediatrician, Lisa, who works on HIV/AIDS research projects for the University of North Carolina out of Bottom. UNC has had a presence at Bottom for many years and they do help patients who enroll in their studies a great deal but it seems (from my perspective) that involvement with the rest of the population at Bottom has been minimal to known, at least until recently. Lisa comes and rounds on the babies in the nursery at least twice a week now and she told me if there is ever a baby I am particularly concerned about to call her. In the two times I've followed her around the nursery I've already learned so much. Anyway, I'm thinking I will ask her to check on my little village baby.

After I returned from the village I went to see Doreen and Dalitso. They were a soothing vision. Dalitso is a beautiful chubby little 3-month-old boy who is now smiling and cooing. Meanwhile, Doreen is managing to express milk and go to school full-time Monday thru Friday. All in all they are doing great and the chicken Sarah bought them has laid nine eggs. Unfortunately, Doreen did tell me that she did not have any food - I wonder how often that is happening.

Deb just told me that she went to visit Margret, with the orange Fanta she requested in hand, but when she reached the medical ward none of the nurses even knew Margret. Incredible?!! Finally, guardians of other patients in the ward told Deb that Margret had been transferred back to ICU. She found her unconscious back on the ventilator. Apparently Margret started having seizures and very low oxygen saturation (the normal level is 100 but she was around 30).