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Explanation of the picture
April 24, 2006 - We met another Brian this week. This one is a two week old baby. His mother brought him for medical assistance. He has the most horrible, huge growths on his face, covering his eyes. He was born with them, but his mother says they have grown rapidly since his birth two weeks ago. He was born at home and she, of course, was immediately concerned and scared, wondering what was ?wrong? with her baby.

She took him to a district hospital. They didn?t know what to do and told her to take him to the other district hospital. They didn?t know what to do and told her to take him to a certain hospital in Eldoret. She didn?t have enough money for transport, much less treatment (and every one knows that hospital won?t treat you without payment up front), so not knowing what to do, she just went home. Two weeks later someone told her about us.

A local doctor said it was a case of a different form of spina bifida. He said instead of the spine leaking fluid, the brain is leaking fluid. Jeff explained that we don?t have unlimited funds and knowing this stay in the hospital could be extended?.. The doctor promised to do what he could to get help from other organizations.

Anyways, we put Baby Brian and his mom on the bus the next morning.

Jeff called the hospital this morning, but didn?t get much information. Just that they have him on an IV of antibiotics to kill the infection before they do surgery. Please pray for this baby. I don?t know if he?ll make it or not. I?m pretty sure he?ll be blind and maybe have other problems too. His mom is so young and so scared. Please pray.

May 1, 2006
We still don?t have any new information on Baby Brian. We are supposing he?s still on antibiotics waiting for surgery.

May 8, 2006
We?ve had a few disappointments this week. Baby Brian and his mom showed up one evening. The hospital had sent them home without doing the surgery. Jeff looked into it and was told that they had sent pictures and test results and scans to doctors in the U.S. for consultation, and had determined that there was no way the baby could survive the surgery. It was so heartbreaking! His mom seemed so sad. I?m sure she?s scared, not knowing what the future holds for her baby. If he survives, he surely won?t have a normal life. He?s blind and his appearance will always be shocking to people.

You know, that?s a bigger problem here than in America because of all the traditional and cultural beliefs. Some will think he?s a curse. Some will think his parents have committed some terrible sin. Some say his birth defect was caused by his mother using ?family planning? (Depro-Prevara injections. I?ve also heard some say that about Felix. I suppose it?s normal to fear what?s new and what you don?t understand.) People are always surprised at the extra attention we give to kids who aren?t ?perfect?. We come across lots of kids with cerebral palsy, polio, downs syndrome, etc. While everyone else is crossing the street to not come into close contact, we?re going over to greet them and shake their hands. You can just see the look of shock and fear on people?s faces, and the look of relief and appreciation of the faces of their mothers. At any rate, I?m afraid little Brian and his parents have a tough road ahead of them.

June 5, 2006
We got some bad news this week. Baby Brian died. The growths over his eyes began to bleed and he refused to eat for a few days, then he died. We provided a casket and some money for food (here, when there?s a funeral, the family is expected to feed all the guests).

What is it?
Jeff and Carla receive several people a week at their house with medical needs. Needs range from a bandage to major surgery. Most people need to see a doctor for their medical needs. Their is a small medical aid station near Jeff and Carla's house, but most patients need hospital care. Jeff and Carla transport them to the hospital for medical care.

What can I do to help?
The preferred method of supporting the medical ministry is through cash donations. Why? It costs a lot of money to send packages into Kenya. For example, a 5 pound package sent by U.S. Airmail takes up to 6 weeks (the post office will tell you 4-10 days, but this only gets it to Nairobi. Then it's on Kenyan time and it gets there when it gets there.) and costs about $30. A 15 pound package costs $60.

On the brighter side, medical costs in Kenya are significantly cheaper then in the US. For example, a recent surgery cost just $10! Your 5 pound package can pay for 3 surgeries!

Why money and not supplies?
The thing to keep in mind is that that $300 treats between 30 and 50 people. So far we haven't turned anyone away for basic, emergency type medical treatment (we don't treat ongoing illnesses or specialists or surgery or anything like that).

More Africans die of malaria than AIDS! That's an amazing statistic when you consider that treatment for malaria is readily available. Some hospitals even give malaria treatment free, but first you have to have the money for transportation to the hospital.

Diseases like diarrhea, pnemonia, typhoid, hookworms and other intestinal stuff like that also claim many lives. People are crippled for life because they can't afford the "plaster" to cast a broken bone. All these things are easily treated, it's just a matter of affording the treatment.

Some of the first medical needs met in 2003.
A young child was treated for wide spread herpes for 630 shillings or a mere $9 US.

A boy of about 8 fell from a tree and broke his arm. He was facing possible deformity because his family didn't have 750 shillings, $11 US, to have his arm cast.

2004 Summary
Basic medical services. Anything from malaria, typhoid, hookworm, broken bones, bicycle riders who were hit by a matatu, tooth extractions, blood infections, babies being born........and on and on it goes.

Summary of 2005's Medical Ministry.
Treated 318 patients.

Anything from malaria, typhoid, tooth extractions, preemie baby, appendicitis, hydrocepholitis, broken bones, cerebral palsy, baby girl with non-perforated vaginal tract, herniated umbilical cord, eye surgery, worms, and just about anything else you can think of. Several of the patients were life or death situations.

Summary for 2006...
July 17, 2006
The medical ministry continues to go crazy. We?ve helped almost 1500 people since February. There?s something we would like to ask you to pray about. The money it takes to run that ministry could go a lot further if we had our own clinic. Also, the ministry would be better defined because whatever we could handle at the clinic is what we would cover. Of course, for life and death situations, we would still refer people to the hospital.

What we would like to do is buy a piece of property before we go home this year. Then when we return next year, our main focus would be developing that property; building a children?s home and a clinic.

October 2, 2006
2,563 patients have been treated so far in 2006.

Summary for 2006
2677 people have received medical care of some sort. This includes anything from malaria, typhoid, brusella, broken bones, heart infections, lens replacements to restore sight to the blind, severe burns, etc. etc.

To see addtional photo's of medical cases, click here.

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