Kenyan children getting care they deserve!

Irene & her mother wait outside the Physiotherapy Dept. at Migori District Hospital

Our day involved LOTS of waiting:  here, Donna Smith, a Ray of Hope team member, amuses Irene, showing photos of animals from Donna's recent safari trip.

Irene's club feet. She's lying on her back:  you can see the toes of her right foot, but her heal is just to the right of where Joseph, the PT, is holding her foot.

Up to now, I've felt I was getting far more than I was giving from this trip to Kenya.  However, that changed today when the parents of  2 of the children we'd visited at their homes in Bware followed through on referrals we'd made & came to Migori to the the Physical Therapy (or Physiotherapy) departments at the 2 hospitals here.  Receiving much needed help were Christine (age 8) & Irene (age 11).  Christine has severe contractures of the tendons to her hamstrings in both legs.  This makes it impossible for her to stand erect or walk more than a few steps without assistance.  Joseph, the St Joseph Umbo Mission Hospital PT, recommended progressive casting for her which may allow her to walk unaided in 4-5 weeks time.  Irene, on the other hand, has club feet, a birth defect.  It was not corrected when she was an infant, so now it is impossible to fix them.  However, Irene walks & stands without pain & is a bright child with sparkly eyes. In her case, Fredrick, the Migori District Hospital PT, recommended referral to another, more advanced hospital in Kissee, Kenya.  There they can make  a mold of both Irene's feet in order to create special shoes to protect her feet.  Ray of Hope-USA will be able to help offset some of the costs for both of these interventions due to the generosity of donors at home.
So today, I really felt "in my element" as a Public Health Nurse, able to advocate for these 2 wonderful children.  I believe both are now on their way to significant improvements that may well change their lives in big ways.  This feels extremely satisfying  and it's one of the major reasons I chose to become a nurse!

Christine getting her temperature taken-sitting next to mom

Joseph, St Joseph Umbo Mission Hospital, explaining to Christine's mother his recommendation for progressive casting to stretch her hamstring tendons so she'll be able to extend her legs & walk.

Joseph supporting Christine as she tries to walk. She told him "I want to walk more" & upon leaving the hospital, her mother said, "Irene is happy" now.