Last week we got 3 new children in Amecet, so we are getting a bit full again. This morning we called several parents/caretakers to come and pick their children, because their time was already past and they are doing well. You never know, it is good to have always some empty beds for emergency.
Wednesday the father of Samuel came. He came from another district and again a sad story. The mother of Samuel had been admitted on the psychiatric ward in a hospital (not in Soroti) and had disappeared and since that time (3 weeks ago) not seen. Samuel is 6,5 months old and his father was desperate. He looked malnourished (5 kg.) and weak. he looks also very scared and he cries a lot. We took him in, the father also had letters from the police and the counsellor in his district. We took him to the doctor and he had a bad case of malaria. The first treatment didn't work, he now gets injections and we see some improvement. We even have seen him smile!!
Saturday, two uncles came with a new born baby. He was born the day before in the hospital. After the delivery the mother started to bleed and it couldn't be stopped. She died just some hours later, leaving the family in despair behind. The uncles came with him, to ask if Amecet could help, the father was not able to come yet. The baby's weight was 3 kg and he looks to be okay. We asked what his name was, in Uganda they don´t give normally the fathers name, but they take someone in the clan, who they want to honor, and give that name to the new baby. They wanted to give the name Luka Ichan, Luka is after the Apostle Luke from the Bible. but Ichan means `poverty` in Atesso. I asked them to please give him another name, because this child would go his whole life with the name Poverty, it is almost like a curse! I explained it to the two uncles and they understood and one of them gave his name to the baby! Luka is doing well and starts to drink better. we have some concern about his eyes, but we want to observe that first.
Then the last baby, this is baby Anna Grace, we got her only 4 hours after she was born! On Sunday I went to church with my girls. My shift was going to start at 1 pm. We were just back home when I got a phone call from the Probation Officer (child protection). There was a child at the police station that was in need of our help. I asked how old the child was and what had happened. Then he told me the child was only some hours old and was born in the bush. I knew then that I had to go, I drove to the police station and found the baby, brought by a community worker and the uncle. The story was again so sad, the mother is mentally ill, she can´t talk or work, but she is roaming around and someone had taken advantage of her, she is only 17 years old!! She had given birth that morning, alone in the bush, she had pulled out the baby by herself!! When they found her, even the placenta had come out, she was just laying there. I asked them to go back and check on her, take her to the health centre for check up, this baby was also 3 kg. But her head is a bit deformed, the doctor says that that will be okay after some days. She looked a bit swollen and the cord had to be re tied again. Today she was drinking very good, so I think she will be all right. The mother was brought for the check up and I have asked them to do directly a HIV test on the mother.
So the house is filling up again , we have some new staff members and also some new volunteers came from Holland, so we have hands enough, let them come!!!!
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