Thursday, November 26, 2015

BUS RIDE FOR A HEMORRHAGING CHILD


Last Thursday was Spectrum's workday in barrio Laguna.

Mari, is very poor and Spectrum's free vegetables are a real help. She's always glad to get them, but she had another problem. Her little boy was alone in the General Hospital, he just had surgery and she really needed to be with him but had no money for transportation; a couple of dollars would do it. Would some missionary giver her a little money for transportation?

She threaded her way through the crowd contacting several of the Christian missionaries telling them about her son Victor in the hospital.

The day before he was vomiting blood; she quickly took him, by local bus, to the General Hospital where they quickly operated on him. (I wonder what she felt like sitting on the at the bus stop holding her bleeding son while waiting for a bus?)

Mari simply needed a little cash for bus fare to visit Victor. Several Christian missionaries prayed with her but none offered her even the little money she needed for transportation. Prayers and sympathy are nice but ... some things take dollars.

Then a Mexican lady pulled Mari aside and said, "Go find Hortensia, she'll help you."

Word gets around.

Well, that's just what she did, and Hortensia listened to her story. Mari has four young kids and her husband is crippled and can't work. He gets a pension of about $90 a month. She earns a little extra by selling candies, tortillas and nopalis (cactus) When Victor, age 9, had his attack, she took him to the hospital, but then she had to return home to the children.

Alone in the General Hospital isn't a good place for a kid to be. No mother would want to leave her son in a Hospital alone. She wanted so badly to visit him, but no "Christian missionary" had even $2. To help her out.

Strange isn't it?

Well, Hortensia did give her the transportation money plus some food money for the family. People know we care. (I give Hortensia extra money to help on her Spectrum work days.)

I met Victor last Saturday, the day he was discharged from the hospital. He had lost a lot of blood. He was a little shy, but he let me pull his lower eyelids down and I saw he was still anemic. He needed good food and some red meat.. (Iron) So we made it possible for her to buy the food the doctor prescribed. In this case the proper diet was essential! Mari was so happy!

We appreciate those of you who make it possible for us to help in cases like this.