As life leaves an earthly soul and joins Jesus in heaven

Pink… the color that represents little girls. I write in a state of mourning. Earlier this morning a young 7 year old girl was admitted o the female ward. The history taking was slightly askew… and we got controversial stories. I do know that the child is malnourished, has a chronic condition, is anemic, has acute gastroenteritis with dehydration and shock, and is critically ill. Her breathing is a hard site to watch. She uses muscles from her mouth, jaw, and all the way down her neck and through her shoulders as she gasps for each breath. You could hear her inspiration and labored breathing before you even entered the ward. She was critically ill and in need of immediate medical attention. She also needed blood. Her type and crossmatch was A+, which is my blood type. One of my dreams about coming to Africa was to give someone my blood and today that dream came true. I followed sister Janice to the lab where Miss Barbara collected my blood. I was able to then walk down the corridor and into the female ward where I would hang my own warm blood on this precious child. This was my third bag of blood to hang within the last five days. Her IV site was patent and flowing with NS, so I stopped that and started up my blood. I watched it flow into that small body. Life is not in our hands. As the night progressed, this precious soul’s earthly body was declining. Her lungs were overflooding with liquid and you could hear it in her breathing. So, we decided to give Lasix and put in a foley. All that was in the ward was an 18 french, so I headed back to the house to find a smaller foley for such a small child. While I was attempting to perform the procedure as sterile as possible with the resources I was equipped with, the Lasix had already begun to have its desired effect. Urine began sprayed and I knew I needed to pick up the pace. She tolerated the procedure well and urine flowed down the catheter. I knew I was in the urethra and up to the bladder so I pushed it a little further and then blew up the bubble with 5 ml of sterile water to maintain its position. I attached the foley tube to her leg and taped the bag on the part of the bed that does not move. I cleaned up all of the supplies I had used, straightened her bedding with the help of sister Janice, and continued to deliberate with all of the medical professionals. The doctors and Miss Bingham discussed different drugs and eventually hung Cipro (sp?) and Flagyl (sp?). For now that was all we could do, and we left the facility. Later in the night, around 530 pm, the doctors received a call on the cell. I felt a strong urge to go and check on my sweet girl. When we got there, she appeared worse than before. Her breathing was labored with continued use of many accessory muscles. She had bronchospasm and wheezing. As the doctors were performing and albuterol treatment, I watched the life drain from her body as she joined Jesus in heaven. I was sitting on the bed with her as she died. First her breathing stopped, and then her pulse ceased not too much later. I had never felt a pulseless wrist, and then tears slid gently down my eyes and dripped onto the bedding. I tried to be strong but I could not hold them back. Then I closed her eyes.

When I got back to the house I couldn’t face anyone and went directly to my room and sat on the first bed I came to. I put my hands in my face as the sobs and tears came. Next I knew Kellum and sister Janice were at my side. I am surrounded by such wonderful people. They comforted me and sat with me as I let the days events process. I don’t know how much time went by, but I appreciated every second that we were sitting there. Then all the girls came and we stood in a circle holding hands, and praying to the Lord.

I know that this sweet child is in heaven right now and I bet she is dancing with God, breathing out of healthy lungs with a smile on her face and joy written in her eyes.