Tiny Gabriel, quite sick :(
We met Tracey upstairs for an 8am breakfast and shortly after headed out to the Hospital to volunteer for the day. We took a bus from Khweza into the city, then a tuk tuk out to the hospital. It’s a pretty bumpy ride, and the driver took us to the wrong hospital first which he was not impressed with. We headed straight up to the children’s wards on level 3 and jumped straight in to helping with the abandoned babies. First I met Tammi’s little battler who we found out is named Gabriel. He is a month old and still the size of a prem baby. He has an naso-gastric tube for feeding and an IV port in a vein in his head. He is also on oxygen 24/7 and the mask covers his whole face, giving him sore eyes as it pushes on them. He really is a sight the poor thing and does not look very well at all. Tammi says he was breathing better than the day before so that’s good news but even still the nurses aren’t sure if he will make it through each night. Tammi hopes that he will be well enough for her to take in when the Upinde Centre is up and running shortly.
Next to Gabriel is another boy, who appears to be a month or two old. He seems pretty healthy at this stage but the longer they stay in the hospital the more likely they pick something up. This is how Gabriel got so sick, from something he caught at the hospital. It’s a shame they have this other boy sharing the same cot as Gabriel, but hopefully he is strong enough not to contract anything.
In the other corner of the room in a cot all by herself was two year old Martha. They think she has cerebral palsy, but if she does it is very mild. She moves freely and loves kicking her clothes and diaper off in her cot. In the whole morning I didn’t see any doctors or nurses engaging with Martha at all, probably because she is not sick but lives there because nobody else will take her. She definitely has a physical disability of some sort but it’s hard to tell whether part of it is a result of being ignored in a cot without human contact all her life. The second I reached down and touched her head she smiled and giggled so much. It was as though she hadn’t been touched in ages. It appeared that Martha had some sort of intellectual impairment, but again I wonder how different she would be if she was taken out of her cot and talked to even once a day.
I tried to find a nurse to ask if I could get her out of bed for a while but I couldn’t find one so decided to just do it. The second I picked her up she was so excited and couldn’t stop laughing. She was very heavy so we found a seat. I just held her for about half an hour and she laughed the whole time, while kicking her arms and legs around. Then I took her for a walk around her room and eventually she fell asleep and I put her back in her cot. It would be great if I could find a wheelchair or carry her out to the garden but I don’t think the nurses will be very keen to approve that. I will see how i get on with the nurses and maybe ask if I can one day this week.
Then we headed over to one of the other wards, where 7 year old Alvin lives. He has a very severe case of cerebral palsy and hasn’t left his cot since he was abandoned there at birth. Sometimes I can’t understand why they can’t put him in a wheelchair and take him for a walk. Though he can’t really sit as his body is stuck in the flat position he lies in bed all day. The doctor does about ten minutes of physio every morning but poor Alvin cries through the whole thing. He only weighs 9kg and is fed through a naso-gastric tube also. Even if they put another baby in the cot with him for an hour a day I am sure he would love the company!
In the cot next to Alvin are three abandoned babies. Angel is lovely but she has an infection behind her ear which looks quite nasty. Hopefully they are treating it but it didn’t seem that they were. It wasn’t cleaned or dressed during the day at all. Next to her is Rambosa, who had a nasty fever when we arrived. She spent most of the day crying but after a cold bath and being held she finally settled down and her fever began to drop. The third baby in the cot is Lucky, who has 6 and a half fingers and seven toes! At first though i hardly noticed, and his toes are all perfect. He has half a second thumb on each hand and is the biggest thumb-sucker I have ever seen! He is a very happy baby and very content with his friends in his cot.
In another cot is Damaris, who is a boy but most likely named after his mum. He is tiny probably only a month old but seemingly quite healthy. We spent most of the day in these wards but did briefly visit two others where 10 year old Steven is bed ridden. He has been left in the hospital so long now he doesn’t even respond to talking and just stares blankly. It is so sad to see the kids neglected like this. There was a wheelchair beside his bed though, so hopefully that means he is getting out for walks occasionally. There was another girl who would be about 4 or 6 who was blind. She couldn’t walk as she has never had the opportunity. She also appeared to have an intellectual disability too, but again I wonder if this is a result of circumstances. Spending time with the children is so sad, and it is very hard to accept that there is so little we can do to help them, but spend quality time with them and at least make one day in there lives more exciting, and let them know love briefly.
We had lunch in the tuck shop which is pretty low on choice so we had a drink box and a pack of crisps and biscuits. Shortly after, we had to leave as the Hospital Choir came in for rehearsal. They are actually very good and it was quite a show they put on for us! We finished up at the hospital at about 4pm and caught a taxi to the cinemas. Catching taxis is such a drama as you have to barter with the drivers for an acceptable fare as they want to charge double for mzungus. We had dinner at the mall from a mexican place, and the vege tacos were quite nice. Then we went and saw Tron in 3D for about $AU6 which is so much cheaper than Australia! Then we caught a taxi home and I headed straght for bedm absolutely exhausted and ready for another day at the hospital tomorrow.
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