This is a picture of Barthese as we travel to Healing Hands for Haiti medical ministry in Petionville. We took Barthese and Baby Cliff Remy (the childof one of our security staff) to be evaluated for surgery. Both boys are hydrocephalic and need shunts to drain the fluid from around their brain. When we arrived at Healing Hands there were 40 children waiting to be evaluated for surgery. All of them were hydrocephalic. Some had light bulb shaped heads from the fluid, but some had heads so engorged with fluid they could no longer hold up their own head. Many had to carried in on mats. The director of the program told us that they only had room to admit 15 of the 40. The remainder would return the next time the American doctors come- or die waiting to be seen.
We first met Barthese in June. We went to see the home of a child named Mackenson we were considering for placement in the orphanage. Mackenson and his 7 siblings were living with their grandmother after the death of their mother. Grandma already was caring for 6 ther children. She helps work a banana field to support her family. We did accept Mackenson into the orphanage, but while at Grandmas, we met 9 year old Barthese.
He is a very bright little guy, but because of his hydrocephalus is unale to walk without help. He has tiny little stick legs that won't support him. He sits outside in the dirt all day wearing only a tattered T-shirt. He has never been to school. We were touched by his bright smile and loving nature. Please pray with us that he will be accepted into the program at Healing Hands and that he could have a good outcome from surgery. We will also need to find a place to care for him following surgery, until he has recovered enough to return to his village. We saw a lot of voodoo artifacts in the area around his home, please pray also that Jesus would do a miracle spiritually as well as physically for these people.
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