Veronica and Sara
Last month, my side-kick and right-hand Community Reading leader met a little girl who touched her heart in a special way. Veronica met Sara on a hill behind the market. They were reading with other kids in that part of town. Veronica noticed Sara's foot was swollen and asked about it. The story was somehow familiar... injury, medical care, follow-up that didn't happen. Now there was a problem.
Sara is 9 years old and doesn't go to school because walking 5 km with a foot that hasn't properly healed is too hard. Last year she was hit by a car while walking from school. The driver took the second-grader to hospital. She was admitted and stayed about 3 months. There were x-rays, some surgery, maybe even skin grafts. In the end she was sent home to heal. Once the sore was healed, she should start physiotherapy.
But Sara lives with her grandmother- not her father's mother, but father's step-mother. Her father lives far away in another province. Her mother passed away long ago. The elder lady didn't manage to take Sara to the hospital to organize physiotherapy. So she stayed home until she could walk to school again... but walking to school made her foot hurt and swell and so they gave up. No school for Sara.
Today Veronica and I took Sara and her father (who happens to be visiting Tete now) to the hospital. we are trying to find out if the swelling is caused by infection or strain... and if there is still a chance for physio... or if other treatment is needed. A busy doctor or two had a look at her. We waited and waited and I showed Sara her bones on the new x-ray they took today. She smiled when she recognized her toes. They will try something and we will keep up with the progress if we can.
If you have seen our Little Zebra Books promo video of the energetic and smiling Veronica you might notice she walks with a limp. When Veronica was a girl, she hurt her foot. The cause is still a little hard to pin down, but she developed osteomyelitis. She was in the hospital for about a year with surgery, x-rays and maybe even skin grafts. Once home, they waited for the sore to heal, but she was never taken for the physiotherapy on follow-up. Her foot has grown twisted. There have been follow-up operations, but now they say it is too late to really fix it. She doesn't let it hold her back, but it does sometimes hurt.
I'm glad that Veronica found Sara at the hillside reading group. We hope and pray that she is getting help in time to avoid permanent damage. Tomorrow Veronica won't be reading with the kids on the hillside. She will be heading to make physio appointments with Sara and her father. God uses our little reading groups in all kinds of ways. Telling stories and learning to read and reaching out to care in tangible ways about kids whose lives might be a little brighter as a result.
Thanks for caring and praying for Sara. And for Veronica. And for Little Zebra Books!
Sara is 9 years old and doesn't go to school because walking 5 km with a foot that hasn't properly healed is too hard. Last year she was hit by a car while walking from school. The driver took the second-grader to hospital. She was admitted and stayed about 3 months. There were x-rays, some surgery, maybe even skin grafts. In the end she was sent home to heal. Once the sore was healed, she should start physiotherapy.But Sara lives with her grandmother- not her father's mother, but father's step-mother. Her father lives far away in another province. Her mother passed away long ago. The elder lady didn't manage to take Sara to the hospital to organize physiotherapy. So she stayed home until she could walk to school again... but walking to school made her foot hurt and swell and so they gave up. No school for Sara.
Today Veronica and I took Sara and her father (who happens to be visiting Tete now) to the hospital. we are trying to find out if the swelling is caused by infection or strain... and if there is still a chance for physio... or if other treatment is needed. A busy doctor or two had a look at her. We waited and waited and I showed Sara her bones on the new x-ray they took today. She smiled when she recognized her toes. They will try something and we will keep up with the progress if we can.
If you have seen our Little Zebra Books promo video of the energetic and smiling Veronica you might notice she walks with a limp. When Veronica was a girl, she hurt her foot. The cause is still a little hard to pin down, but she developed osteomyelitis. She was in the hospital for about a year with surgery, x-rays and maybe even skin grafts. Once home, they waited for the sore to heal, but she was never taken for the physiotherapy on follow-up. Her foot has grown twisted. There have been follow-up operations, but now they say it is too late to really fix it. She doesn't let it hold her back, but it does sometimes hurt.I'm glad that Veronica found Sara at the hillside reading group. We hope and pray that she is getting help in time to avoid permanent damage. Tomorrow Veronica won't be reading with the kids on the hillside. She will be heading to make physio appointments with Sara and her father. God uses our little reading groups in all kinds of ways. Telling stories and learning to read and reaching out to care in tangible ways about kids whose lives might be a little brighter as a result.
Thanks for caring and praying for Sara. And for Veronica. And for Little Zebra Books!
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