tagged 
Kenya, Medical Mercy, child sponsorship, response Tweet
Kenya, Medical Mercy, child sponsorship, response Tweet Medical Mercy Day 2 Update: Malindi, Kenya
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 8:25AM 
Sometimes, things just don't seem fair.
And today was one of those days. We saw just over 200 patients, in a village far from any paved road, about an hour and a half outside of Malindi. It was remote, a few mud huts and a lot of vegetation. The Kenyan Health Care Workers (HCWs) and the US medical team worked together seeing patients, with light drizzles of rain and bursts of sunshine taking turns throughout the day.
We saw lots of malnutrition and a host of other diseases, and we all agreed that the children we saw today were sicker than those we saw yesterday. There was also a clear difference between the health of the sponsored children and those who weren't sponsored. The sponsored children were sick, but the others were much sicker. Gives some affirmation that what Mission of Mercy does for their children gives them at least a much better chance at life.
And so what about this "life isn't fair" issue? Without getting into details, we saw 2 children who had significant medical issues which could have been addressed and the children made better, but due to circumstances, they were not going to be able to be helped. They were un-sponsored children with complex medical issues that would involve a great deal of resources, time and commitment. The sadness of it all was that if done right, both would be able to go on and life better lives.
We struggled with the questions of should we jump in and start the process of diagnostic tests, referrals to specialists, and recommending advanced medical care, or leave well enough alone, knowing that unless we did this right and committing to see it through all the way (years of specialized medical care, etc.), we were only giving false hope for a better tomorrow. To start a process and then abandon it half way through just doesn't make sense and just should not happen. There is a right and best way to do things. And the right and best thing to do here was to leave well enough alone.
Sounds cold and uncaring doesn't it. But here's the question I pose of you: would you have done anything different, and if so would you have been able to make a 100% guarantee of full commitment? Because if you couldn't, that child living in the bush of Kenya will be waiting for the promise of cure and a better life, becoming more and more disillusioned with life than he was before. There is nothing more heart breaking than a broken heart from a broken promise.
So we decided as we did and that is the reality of third world medicine. There are just some things we just can't do. You turn away and hope that they don't see the tears in your eyes. Life isn't fair, is it? Today was bittersweet. We helped a lot of children, were gifted with colorful T-shirts from the village, and walked away from 2 who needed more than we could give. And I'm so sorry for that. Can 2 children with very special needs find it in their hearts to forgive? I hope so.
In all things give thanks,
David
Internet is sparse, but you can also check Dr. Beyda's blog and Twitter account for updates from the team.
Reader Comments (2)
Had these children been sponsored would you have been able to help them? Or is it deeper than that?
I'm sure others had that same question, Ashley. This situation is quite complex. Mission of Mercy opened this project a little over a year ago. The area is very remote and services are extermely limited -- this is the first time a medical team has traveled to the area. So even if the children were sponsored earlier, they most likely would not have seen an doctor before then.
Dr. Beyda wrote about the resources, time, and commitment required to address their significant medical issues. The decision against pursuing treatment for these children wasn't determined by their sponsorship status, but by the extreme measures needed to make a difference at that point.
Mission of Mercy does have a Children's Crisis Fund that may be used for medical emergencies or natural disasters, and sometimes a child's sponsor is willing and able to pay for needed treatment. But in this case, what we would be able to provide would not have been enough. In the face of such difficult decisions, we can only pray for the God of all comfort to redeem the situation here on earth or in heaven, as He will.
We are glad to be in Malindi and will continue to work for the good of the children placed in our care. The two children beyond our immediate help will serve as a reminder to work harder to prevent others from facing the same fate.