Friday, July 25, 2014

MALARIA SEASON



This IS Malaria season (rainy season) and we have heard of several suspected cases, but they turned out to be something else.  We don't have much of a problem with mosquitos,  we just wear repellant if out in the evening and stay under a light quilt at night. Both of us have had only a few bites.  They say one in four mosquitos carry malaria (so we are hoping the ones who snacked on us were health-friendly)

 Everyone from the states takes Malaria medication, some daily and some weekly. We are weekly



It is just an antibiotic to build our resistance, no more.  There is no vaccination for Malaria  

We were given the advice to buy Malaria medication before leaving in case it was found after.  When I asked about this, I was told that the medicines here in Africa are much better and the doctors here are more proficient in treating it than in the U.S.  It made sense to me. They deal with it all the time! 

If you are treated for it and it is not Malaria, it can make it worse so testing is essential.

Our missionary, Elder Dayley (left), was in the hospital with Malaria last week for a few days.  He was in the main hospital in Accra and said it was not bad. He added, however, that from his experience in the local hospital, he'd rather just die. At least we know where to go if needed.  



Our prayers over the food and concerning health and safety are probably more sincere and intense.  We purchased a health insurance card for an emergency but certainly hope we never have to use it.  Stephen Abu's brother-in-law is a doctor at a reputable hospital which gives us some peace of mind. We'll be sure to get his number before Stephen leaves to join his wife for the arrival of their new baby.

The following story illustrates what many Ghanaians experience and was touching to me:

Emmanuel and Monica Opare's daughter, Marion, had a baby girl after years of waiting and medical intervention. The baby had a heart defect which needed a surgery that had never been done in Ghana; but a German doctor agreed to come to perform it. The baby was in the hospital for 6 weeks. During that time Monica spent a lot of time at the hospital. It was a heart rending experience for her as she saw other children who needed medicine and services but were denied them because they could not pay for them. She provided the money on many occasions.

Due to the lack of appropriate "follow through" on the baby girl, she passed away. The Opare's were counseled that they could sue but decided they should "let it go".. They have been thanked many times since by the hospital administrators. Much fasting and prayer had been exercised for the baby to recover, but the Lord's will was accepted. Monica feels the time spent in the hospital was to save the other babies rather than their own.

Marion has since had two more daughters age 5 and 2. She told us that the day her daughter died, before she was informed, songs of consolation kept going through her head. She was anticipating that her daughter would recover and wondered why she as not thinking of songs of joy and celebration. When she arrived at the hospital, she knew why. Her parents were most impressed with the faith Marion demonstrated in accepting this very difficult outcome.

Sometimes our prayers are answered by giving us an opportunity to answer those of others.

1 comment:

Momma Fran said...

Such a sweet story. Thanks for sharing it.