The good with the bad

Today had some hard moments. A few days ago a group of eight girls came to the hospital from an area that is in Jiangxi province but far from Nanchang, where our partner hospital is. Upon first examination the doctors determined that the girls have polio. Today was the first day that our orthopedic team really had a chance to examine them, and they decided that all the girls but one could benefit from surgery. When this one girl realized that she was the only one not having surgery she just started sobbing and and sobbing. This girl is an orphan from a very poor area and it seems she had set in her mind that surgery to correct her walk was her ticket to a different and better life. She kept crying out that she was giving up, that she had worked so hard, been such a good student, tried to be positive, but that now she was giving up. She was truly inconsolable. Everyone felt really terrible. All of her friends who will be having surgery were in the room because they all stay in one hospital room, and they started crying as well, realizing what this means for her. We were trying to comfort her but it was very tough. In the end it's just part of the reality of doing this kind of work, but it's very hard to accept.

Below is a picture of two of the polio girls that was taken a few days ago. The one on the left is the one who is not having surgery.


On a brighter note, a lot of kids are getting great treatment. Below is an adorable little fellow who will have surgery tomorrow on his legs and feet. He is very sweet and has taken a lot of joy from the coloring books and puppets that were donated. Send him good thoughts for tomorrow!