MABINTY

The RAC Mobile Clinic Team, Sanko, Paul, Kadiatu, Mr. Abu, and Shawn Hannah, KCMA PA Student

The Restore a Child Mobile Clinic team heads out from the Adventists Health System-Sierra Leone, Waterloo Hospital each Tuesday and Wednesday, taking medicines to children in villages with no access to health care. The following story is told in the words of James Abu, our beloved CHO (Community Health Officer) and head of our mobile clinic program.

Mr. James B. Abu, CHO, Director of the Mobile Clinic Program.

This child, Mabinty Kanu, age 3, was seen during one of our mobile clinic sessions in a village called Masentigie. According to the mother, the child had been having a fever on and off for one week, which became continuous over the last two days before we were there. In addition, she was coughing and vomiting after every meal. Her abdomen was distended and she was obviously seriously anemic. She was so helpless that she could not stand without support.

Mabinty Kanu, sitting on her mother’s lap with an IV hanging from a Mango Tree.

I asked the mother, “Why have you kept this child at home until now?”

The mother’s reply was, “I had no money to take her to the hospital. To get even what we eat is a problem. I have been giving her some native treatment, but it does not help.”

I asked about the father and she told me he ahs separated from her and does not even visit to know how Mabinty is doing.

Mabinty was quickly examined by another PA student from Kettering, Olivia Kwiatkowski, and given emergency treatment with IV fluids and antibiotics. A motorbike was hired and she was transported to the Adventist Health System—Waterloo Hospital, where Mabinty was admitted and laboratory investigation confirmed the severe malaria and anemia. Treatment that had begun in the field was continued and she was transfused with whole blood.

Mabinty on the road to recovery, sitting up on her hospital bed.

By God’s grace she responded well to treatment and 2 days later she was discharged to home with oral medication. The mother was so happy and was crying as they left, saying, “Thank you for saving my child’s life. I pray that God will continue to bless you.”

Ready to go home!! Praise God!!

We shall be making a follow-up visit on her after one week to see how she is doing. But she would not be alive today with the Restore a Child Mobile Clinic Program.

James B. Abu, Community Health Officer
Restore a Child Mobile Clinic Supervisor

Truly this child would not be alive today if it were not for the mobile clinic program. And the mobile clinic program only functions because of donations given through Restore a Child and our other faithful supporters. Thank you and God bless each of you.

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For those of you who are new to our blog please look around at the other pages, the “About” page tells a bit of who we are and our background, the “Definitions” page explains some terms that are used that some of you may not be familiar with, such as GC or AHI. The “Timeline” gives an idea of where we will be throughout the year, and the “Video” page has a video Bekki made of Koza Hospital as well as the videos she has made of Moundou, and now we are adding videos of Sierra Leone. Watch a real Ebola survivor tell his story. Watch our community health officer explain why the staff agreed to work in the Ebola Red Zone even after they lost 2 staff members to Ebola. There is also the Surgical Pictures Page, but be forewarned, it has some very graphic pictures, so if you don’t like blood and guts, stay away from that page. On the Projects and Donations pages you can find the projects we are working on and how to donate to the project that touches your heart. Finally, if you like our blog and want to receive each new post directly to your e-mail, please sign up with your e-mail in the subscribe box. It doesn’t cost anything, there is no commitment, it just makes it easier to follow us.

We welcome volunteers.

-Scott Gardner