Im not ready to go home

Its crazy to think that last week I was so excited to go home and see my family and friends, but now as the trip has come to an end, I'm really not ready. Looking back over the month God has really opened doors and showed me how much more there is to life.

This past week especially has been beyond words. I worked in the emergency department and was able to perform skills I have not had a chance to use since skills lab, but the most rewarding part about being in the department was being able to talk with the families. A patient I worked with had been hit by a car, and is now intubated. His family came in to visit and just stood around him not doing anything. As they circled in and out of the room I walked up to one of the family members and explained to him that the patient can hear, he just does not have the ability to respond in any way. The man began to have tears in his eyes as he said thank you, and then he told me that he was the patients father. At that moment I really feel that I made a difference in a persons life. The nurses do not have time to talk with the families and explain these things, so once I explained that to the patients father, all the other family members came in and began talking to him and holding his hand. The next day I moved to the emergency ward, an overfill of the ICU, and found that my patient had been transferred. While waiting for visiting hours one of his family members approached me and wanted to say thank you again. I was just reminded how much of a difference it makes to work with families and to help support them as well while they wait for a loved one to recover.

Our evenings as a group were filled with dinners celebrating our time with the people and relationships that have been made. Monday we spent time with our host family as just a huge thank you for taking in 8 people. The next night we ate with Richard and Valerie, founders of WorldCOMP ministries. It was such a special night to hear the visions they have for future students, and for the future of the company. I am really looking forward to the day I can come back to Kenya and partner with them during their mega medical camps. Our last night we ate with the Sadara family. They blessed us with a wonderful African meal, tea, and Maasai blankets that each a have special message on the material.

The people I have meet this month are people I want to continue to build relationships with because they are people that are making a difference. I am looking forward to what the future holds, but for now I am going to continue to cherish these moments until my next adventure.

#T.I.A. (This is Africa)

A weekend full of adventure, hashtags, animals, laughter, and memories to last a lifetime, TIA. When people think of Africa the first thing that usually comes to mind is Safari, well that is where this journey starts. 

Our team was gifted a two night stay at Mara Sopa resort right off the Maasai Mara, but this seemed a little to good to be true...and it was #TIA. We found out that the reservations were made for the week after we would be at safari. So we were told about a place that is a new place to stay and that it is very comparable #itwasnt. 

#maranopa 

The place was a 4 bedroom guesthouse, where 2 girls would share a bed, and the other girl would sleep on a single without a misquote net. It was cute, but the price they wanted was not. They were charging us over $80 a night, per person. So our wonderful instructors said no thank you to the owner, and we went off to Mara Sopa to try and see if they could change the reservation. After waiting over an hour, our team was unsuccessful. We ended up at this really cool campsite. The price was better than the guesthouse and it was a place for an experience. 

On the Safari we saw some amazing animals, but still no cheetahs or rhinos. This has been my second Safari and I am still in awe of how beautiful God's creation is. I don't think I could ever get tired of seeing the grassy plains, or the rolling hills. Seeing animals where they are meant to live, and seeing how they all interact with one another is so special.

 

Started the adventure with 11 lions and cubs!

The Maasai giraffe 

On the boarder on Tanzania and Kenya!

African Plains 

One of the many zebras 

 

The story of a caner patient.

Meet Nicklas.

He was diagnosed with colon cancer last year, and is currently on his 9th out of 12 treatment of chemo. Nicklas loves the Lord and has not blamed God for his diagnosis. To see how strong this one man is, it really is encouraging. Back home Nicklas teaches kids in grades 1-8 about math and science. All of his students run to him when he returns home from treatment. Nicklas will spend about 4 days in the hospital getting his treatment because he lives so far away. If he lived in Nairobi he would come in as an outpatient. While talking with him Nicklas asked how cancer is looked at in America, and how we seek treatment, and how we all pay for it. He also asked me about my experiences in Kenya, and then asked me questions about the medications he was on, and the side effects he is experiencing. Nicklas is an amazing man. And he is just one man.

So many people come and seek treatment at the hospital for their cancer. They are diagnosed in stage 1 or 2, but by the time they can afford treatment, their cancer has progressed to stage 4. By then their cancers are almost untreatable. It breaks my heart knowing that so many people have the intention of being cured, but this country is in such a lack of resources. Kenyatta Hospital is one of 3 cancer facilities in the whole country. It is the only public hospital, and with that they run out of supplies often. When the hospital does not have medications in house, patients have to go find a pharmacist outside the hospital, purchase the medication, and then bring it back for administration. Kenya also only has 11 oncologist doctors.

Cancer is on the rise in this country due to all the pollution and other environmental factors. People are usually do not even try to seek treatment, because many believe that cancer is untreatable. The government is not willing to open more clinics or treatment centers because they believe that treating cancer is not as important as other issues.

I learned so much while on this unit, and I hope you all cherish the story of Nicklas, I know that he would have loved to share it with you.

Giving chemo to patients

Sometimes, I wish this wasn't real

So I have really been dreading the idea of writing about this day. My friends and family would say that I am not a crier, and truth is I'm not except for when I am laughing, or really hurt. But there is a part of this world that tears open my heart and lets the tears flow freely. I do not know why, but children who have absolutely nothing, who live way below the poverty line, and have an unexplainable joy....man, that, that gets me.

A little portion of the slum 

On our way into the Kibera slums, we had to pick up 3 police officers to protect us. I had no idea what our team was getting into. Kibera is a 5 mile radius of 1.3 million people living on less than $1 a day.  Most are born in the slums, raised in the slums, married, have children, and then pass away without ever leaving the walls. I just wonder, how can people live like this, when their is so much more to life outside these walls? I know that "this is all they have ever known"... it just does not seem fair to me. Kibera just recently had water brought into the slums that most have to walk some distance to even get access to the water. A standard "house" is at MOST 10ft x 10ft, with no bathroom or running water. Rent is about 2,000KES, which is $23US. I could just keep going on about the living conditions, but I want to tell you about what we actually did there.

Living conditions 

We were greeted by a school filled with children ages 2-8. They had the most biggest smiles in the world, and were so excited to have visitors. They all gathered outside and sang the most beautiful songs (video below). Honestly, that is when I lost it. I have seen poverty, and I have seen slums that are about equal if not worse than these conditions. But the children.... it's their joy, laughter, smiles, excitement! They literally have nothing, maybe shower once a week, wear the same clothes, shoes, and mostly just get fed at school, and they are content! When was the last time I was content with nothing? When was the last time you were? I mean lets be honest, in America, and most developed countries, we always want more. Im sitting here crying right now because I'm that American girl who complains about not knowing what to wear. Or I complain that I need to shower after working out...this is a heart check for me. More of a reality check. I'm not saying I am going to go home and get rid of everything, because I am not. But I can tell you that I am going to be making a better effort at being content and happy with what I have.

Kids in line for the medical camp 

These kids are precious, and so are their families. The people who invest into this school and these kids are amazing people. I again found it hard communicating with the people, but with children sometimes just a smile and some hand gestures is all you need. I saw some very sick children, and I saw lots of healthy ones. The dynamic of each child and each person is so unique, and all of them slowly find their way into my heart. At our break I was able to go out and play with some of the kids. They all begged me to sing them a song, so I sang "I'm a little teapot" which they thought was so funny! I then asked if they knew "head, shoulders, knees, and toes", they did, so I made them sing it with me.

Being in Kibera was difficult for me emotionally, but my memories, and thoughts will forever be in my heart. My time spent with each patient was worth the emotional wave that came on me. And the time playing with each child was priceless. I really have found my calling on life. Serving the people who are forgotten, the children who are abandon, and the communities in way less than good living conditions....they are my future patients. They are the people I want to work with, to help improve their health, and to share the love that Jesus has given me.

After this day I was reminded of a verse in my devotional that I am doing. It's Isaiah 51:3

The Lord will surely comfort [you] and will look with compassion on all [your] ruins; He will make [your] deserts like Eden, [your] wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in [you], thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

HIV/AIDS is the new leprosy

My dream finally came true! Since high school I have wanted to work with people infected by this horrible virus, and it finally happened. I was not able to find the cure this time, but maybe one day in the future I will. 

Now, I want to take a moment and explain how HIV is viewed globally, and hopefully change your mind on how you will view someone who might be infected. First off, you will not get HIV by touching, kissing, or playing games an infected person. And secondly, you can live a normal life with treatment, look at Magic Johnson, you just might be hurt emotionally in the process. Out of the 34 million HIV-positive people worldwide, 69 percent live in sub-Saharan Africa (roughly 23.8 million infected persons in all of Africa). Of that 34 million, 1.6 million live in Kenya, with 1.4 million begin people ages 15+. This has left 1 million children orphaned. 

I know these statistics can be shocking, but this happens worldwide, even in America. And the thing is once a person is infected, many loose their families, friends, and sometime their job. What I noticed in Kenya is how secretive people are about their status, and I know this happens in the US as well. When a person comes in for the first time after a positive reading, they are given a box that contains a mosquito net, water purifiers, condoms, and food supplementation. Many people used to only take certain things out of the box because they did not want people to know their status. The unit I worked on saw this happening, and began taking the supplies out of the box, and placing them into a grocery bag. Many more people have been receptive to taking the supply box now. Another thing that people receive is antiretrovirals. They are given a months dose, and then as they build trust with the clinic, they can begin to take more of the medication home. 

My first day on the unit I worked with adult clients. I took their vitals and charted the information. I also got a chance to sit in with the clinical officers to observe how an appointment works. It was the next day were I was really moved. I worked with the children that have been infected either from birth, rape, or a sexual encounter. One patient really stood out to me and I would like to share her story with you. 

At age 3 both of her parents passed away. She was left to live with her aunt, and she became very sick. Her aunt took her to the hospital the she was diagnosed with HIV, stage 3. By the time she was 4 years old she had already been on two different kinds of treatments. She is now 13. Last year she found out by accident that she was HIV positive. Her CD4 levels are around 61, they have been dropping significantly over the years. She is depressed, and is not adhering to her treatment. Doctors have also diagnosed her with TB, and possibly treatment failure. 

Her BMI was 14, and by the look on her face, I would say she would rather be with her parents. Just thinking about her just eats me up. If it was not for the stigma that HIV positive people face, so many more would seek treatment, so many more would be living, and so many more people would be tested.

I do not know about other treatment centers, but the one at the regional hospital is very particular about not disclosing  to children their status. They know that children can not keep secrets, and they want these children to have a normal life. Many children are able to find out they are positive by reading the posters around the office, but most find out during a counseling session at the clinic with their caregiver. Children who do not know their status believe they are taking vitamins everyday, and when they do find out, the clinic does their best to keep the children from adhering to treatment. When a child stops taking their medication, they believe that they are punishing their caregiver, when in reality they are only hurting their self.

Where is the light in all this darkness? Well the light is coming. The Kenya education system is slowly chaining, but not quick enough. There is still so much false information out in the public, and especially out in the villages. Even in the US there is a lot of false information. People who are HIV positive are just like you or me. They just have a virus in their body that is slowly compromising their immune system. If you get a chance, I would love for you to watch this video. It shows a woman who is healthy and normal, but 90 days prior you would not believe it was the same woman. HIV is not something to be afraid of and that was made so clear to me these past two days working with people who live their life in that shadows.

(you can watch it on YouTube for a bigger screen)

The Deaf, the Juvenile, and the Widowed

Talk about a crazy weekend filled with fulfillment, purpose, and a look into Gods heart. Friday we were in the northern part of Kenya in an area called Majengo (just outside of Kisumu). Our team had an amazing opportunity to be apart of a medical camp that served 500 people! Majority of the people were widows and orphans.

As the story continues, the building we used was built by a missionary team, and then donated. A water well was built that will serve clean water to the women and the community. And all the glass for  the windows was donated. Mama Nancy (the widow in the video) wants to take these widows who are rejected from the community, and make them into strong empowering women. She plans to have a bead and breakfast at the house, as well as a shop that will sell jewelry and clothing that the women will make.

That Friday I really felt like I was able to make a difference in the peoples life. Even though I only took their vital signs, I was able to bring Jesus into my small interactions even without being able to speak the language.

The next day we traveled to a boys detention center were we had the opportunity to tour the facility and provide basic medical services. I was able to talk to some of the boys about their lives, and they have some impacting stories. When the boys leave the detention center they leave as a better person. I wish we had better juvenile detention centers in the States. While the boys are here they get an education, trade skills, and a community that supports them. It is crazy to think that 7 years ago WorldComp came in to a slave camp of boys, and with the help of locals have turned it into something amazing. 

That following afternoon my heart was given to a group of 60+ deaf children. I want you to understand how these children are viewed here. This home receives no government assistance, they only receive 5% of the school fees from the 60+ children, and the majority have been brought in off the streets because they are not wanted. We first came on Valentines Day, bringing little heart tattoos, gummy snacks and 200 pounds of beans. To see the excitement on the faces of these children is indescribable.

     

We went back the next day to deliver bread...their excitement over a piece of bread, it was like giving a 5 year old a dollar for a lost tooth. It really just gave me a better perspective over the world. We have so much back home, and most of us are happy. But placing myself here, and seeing the excitement over one slice of bread, I realize I have a lot back home to be happy about. 

 On our drive back on Monday we did the American tourist thing and stopped at the Equator. Our group took lots of photos, and our driver even joined us! Overall it was an amazing weekend, and unfortunately this blog post can not be a good summary of all my feelings. I will say this. if you ever get an opportunity to experience something that might be out of your comfort zone, go do it! There is so much fulfillment and gratitude in serving. And maybe, just maybe, you will find your self wanting to go back again and again. I know for me, Kenya is a place that I will continue to visit throughout my life.

Feeling the Burden of a Broken System

With my first real day on the floor of Kenyatta Hospital I began to feel the culture shock. First off I have never been in a hospital with over 2,000 patient beds, and you know the sad part, 2,000 beds is not enough. Nicole and I were placed on the pediatric unit, which was really exciting, except I was not prepared for what I was going to walk into. To give a little perspective, Seattle Children's has about 345 patent beds, and those are hardly all in use at one time. In Kenyatta, they ideally would have 6 beds per room, which would make 20 patients per unit (80 patients for the whole floor). Well, due to the public hospital standards and not enough affordable hospitals, the unit I worked on had around 59 children (thats about 240 children for the whole floor....almost a full hospital for a single floor!!). Kenyatta Hospital can also not afford to have a lot of nurses, so on this floor one nurse can have up to 40 patients! Talk about overwhelming. Another overwhelming thought is medical bills. In the States our insurance and/or us gets the bill after our stay. At Kenyatta Hospital, patients must pay a deposit to become an inpatient. and in order to leave the hospital they must finish paying their hospital stay bill. The hospital can keep the child for months until the bill is paid! But this story gets more interesting. When a child passes away the family has 2 months to pay off the hospital and morgue bill, if they are not able to follow through the government will have the child buried in a mass grave cemetery.

My heart just really began to ache for these families and these nurses. Even though I am not a parent the thought of having to wait to leave the hospital sounds terrible, and then not being able to have a burial for your deceased child...its devastating. The nurses are so equipped with skills far beyond what I have seen in the states, and they really want to have the best practice possible, but they have to make do with what they have. These nurses have to sacrifice to much so that every child can just receive medication on time. Now, you might be wondering, where is this culture shock you talk about? Well for the first time in my life I actually felt out of place. The nurses that I followed my first part of the shift did not speak much English when with patients, so I had no idea what was going on. Then when we would go to a new patent I would not get filled in on what just happened. I felt out of place, totally unprepared, and incompetent. The nurses would ask me questions about what I would do in the States, and I did not feel like I could answer their questions confidently.

That feeling did not pass until after my lunch break. And after that I really got to see how special and amazing each of these kids are. Children no matter how sick sometimes, just want to play and be normal. They loved to play with our stethoscopes and our hand sanitizer. One of the little boys kept touching my hair saying how soft it was.

Some other things that really stood out today was how truly blessed we are to have the hospitals we have. I did not realize how much we take for granted. To have a single patient room and your own bed is a blessing. To have your own tubing that has never been used is a blessing, and to have a nurse that can be a full care taker is a blessing. Even though this Kenyan hospital was not up to American standards they are able to make do with the best that they have. I am looking forward to a day where I can be a change for a broken system like this!