The story of Nathan.....

At the end of July 2016,  the grandmother of Nathan came to Amecet for help. Nathan was one year and 8 months old. But he has some major problems. He can't stand, he can't eat or drink by himself, you can't get contact with him, he looks at you and it seems that he does not register you. The grandmother doesn't know what had happen to him, she told us that the mother has a mental problem and she took off and now she has to care for him, while she has her own baby of 1 year. Nathan was severely malnourished, and it seems that he a brain damage and a form of epilepsy. Quite a list!!!!! We took him to the clinic and he got some medicines to control the small absences of epilepsy. They referred us to the orthopedic doctor, where we went, but he refereed us to the pediatrician. We took him there as well and after a good check up, we were send to the physio therapy centre. And we should feed him well, they thought that after the malnutrition had gone, he would do much better.

To conquer the malnutrition was the least of our problems, Nathan loves to eat, the only way to get his attention was by food or milk. Fore the rest he had no interest, not in people, not in toys... only food. But everybody loves him, he is so content, he is just laying or sitting, playing with his hands and smiling or making noises or waving with his arms or legs..

Here we sit in the Physiotherapy centre in the hospital. we went there several times and they did exercises and showed us how to do it in Amecet. But after some times, they also said that it had no effect on Nathan. He cried a lot and there was no improvement. At first they thought that the malnutrition was the cause of his problems, but now it seems that the brain damage is much worse than they  expected at first. They advised us to make a special C.P. chair (cerebral palsy). 

We drove to Kumi, where the special orthopedic workshop is for those chairs, and they also make artificial feet, legs etc. On the picture you can see how they measure Nathan, while Elias is holding him. They told us that the chair will be ready in one week,(the costs is 25 Euro)!

Simon, our social worker, had promised the grandmother to try to find the father of Nathan, to talk to him and to try to let him help the family a bit. So within this week, Simon started to search and with success!!!!!!

 He didn't talk to the father, but he found the mother.... just at home, where also the grandmother lives. A lot of talking was done, here is the picture of the family, at the right is the grandmother and next to her, is the mother of Nathan, then a smaller sister of the mother and the older brother who is carrying his younger brother. The mother had made up the story, so she would get help... Simon told her that we would have given the same help if she would have be honest.

The mother of Nathan has a small tomato business in the market. It helps with the family income.

 The mother came to Amecet to see Nathan and she has no mental problem at all. here she is feeding Nathan. She was surprised how big he had grown. Since he came to Amecet, he almost gained 4 kg.

 Today we drove back to Kumi, to get the C.P. chair for Nathan. The men adjusted some things but for the rest he was sitting well in the chair.

Nathan will soon, go back to his family, with the chair, I am glad we know the truth now and I believe his mother loves him. For us it is so much easier now to bring him home, knowing that the grandmother is not alone, but that his mother is there as well. We can do much more for Nathan, that is a bit frustrated, but at least Nathan is happy and he will play with his hands and sit in his chair and be with his family!!