Lending a hand to fix an arm

Having grown up in America, I often take medical care for granted. Whether it’s an emergency situation or just a routine check-up, doctors and medications and other health needs have always been accessible and readily available to me. Living in the third world, I now understand what a luxury medical care can be.

Jezreel, looking great in his school picture.

Last Tuesday, our 7th grade student Jezreel fell on the basketball court and fractured both bones in his forearm. We took him to the main hospital on Camiguin, but x-rays revealed that he would need surgery to prevent any deformity, and the doctor who visits each week from the mainland would not be arriving for a few days. My teammate Genevieve and I accompanied Jezreel and his father Sonny to Maria Reyna Hospital in Cagayan de Oro. Imagining that we would just drop them off and return to Camiguin that afternoon or the following day, we packed very lightly, bringing just one spare change of clothing. We were wrong...

Jezreel was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. We brought him children’s religious books to read, and I couldn’t help but think of St. Ignatius of Loyola (His conversion occurred while he was on bed-rest after being injured in battle and had no form of diversion or entertainment except to read the two books left at his bedside -- the Bible and the Lives of the Saints!). 

X-ray of Jezreel's right arm with stainless steel implants.

On Thursday morning, we prayed with Jezreel before he was wheeled into surgery. Four hours and 13 screws later, Jezreel’s arm was back together again. Although Genevieve and I had planned to leave earlier, we soon realized that this would be impossible. Hospitals here require that you purchase your own medications, IV fluids, etc. on the spot, so we had to walk to two local pharmacies in order to fill his prescriptions. Another rule is that the hospital and doctors’ bills must be paid in full before the patient can be discharged. Unfortunately, many people cannot afford to buy medical insurance (about 300 pesos or $7 per month), making the cost of surgery incredibly high and virtually impossible to pay! Praise the Lord that, through your generous donations to our mission work, we were able to sponsor Jezreel’s operation and hospital stay.

Post-surgery, all smiles.

Throughout this 4-day adventure and many hours spent in a little hospital room, we were blessed with the opportunity to get to know Jezreel’s dad as well. Sonny is a caring husband and father who used to be involved in a charismatic prayer and praise group, although he is now kept busy working as a carpenter to support his family. He loves the Lord and told us that he teaches his children to say their prayers every night before bed. One day in the hospital, Sonny was struggling to read the small print in a Bible and told us that his glasses are not the correct prescription because he found them on the side of the road. We brought him to the eye clinic in another wing of the hospital and he was able to have his eyes examined and get a new pair of reading glasses. You can see him proudly holding them in the picture above.

Tomorrow we will be taking Jezreel to the local hospital here on Camiguin for a follow-up appointment. It amazes and humbles me to know that God uses even a simple little missionary like me to provide for the needs of His people. Thank you once again for your prayers and support that make God's work possible!

Riding back on the ferry, happy to be going home at last!