A Glimmer of Hope

A few weeks ago, we were out in the field performing surveys and collecting information on orphans that require sponsorship for a new program at FAOC. We were told of a boy who had a serious leg injury and who wanted help to receive medical treatment. We were taken to his house, but no one was around. When we looked closer inside, there was a small child sitting in the corner of the house. He was naked and unable to move. His leg was incredibly swollen (4 times the size it should be) and I could see pus draining from several seperate areas of his leg. He had beads of sweat on his head, likely because he was in severe pain. When we finally met his mother, we were told that he had fallen 1 year ago and developed a swelling on his leg (abscess). However, she had been unable to provide medical care for him so she had just been treating the leg locally, cleaning away the pus. She had received enough help earlier in the year to have an x-ray taken, but he had received no further treatment. When I looked at the x-ray, I was amazed at the severity of the injury. The boy has 2 areas of severely infected bone and a possible fracture of his femur. I was absolutely devastated to see a child in such a horrible state. While his mother worked and while his siblings attended school, this boy sat in his home, alone, for an entire year. I decided that I was going to get treatment for this boy so that he could have a chance at a decent life. I found a hospital near our office that specializes in orthopedic surgerys. They are going to provide the surgery for the boy for free, and then I will help pay all the other associated costs. We have scheduled a surgery date for the 14th of this month. The mother is happy to have her prayers answered and I hope that this surgery will alleviate this boy's pain and and give him some hope for being able to live a normal life.

Anthon, 6 years old: