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March 3, 2006
Today Pedro and Rani visited with the man who lost his baby a few weeks ago on the made arrangements to hire him
to help with the remodel of our new building in Santa Catarina. The money that he received for this allowed him to take
care of his obligations now, at least the immediate need.
March 2, 2006 Today I learned that a baby boy less than a year old died in the middle of February, just a few weeks ago.
Below is his story.
In November of 2005 while we were working in the village of Santa Catarina trying to help people rebuild their homes
which were destroyed in the Hurricane Stan disaster, we came across a family with a sick baby. I was working with Brian, a
man from the United States helping where he could in the aftermath of the disaster, and he just happened to know of this family.
Hector and I along with Brian went to a house where a mother and her kids invited us inside for coffee.
She explained to us that her six month-old baby boy was lethargic and sick almost since birth. They had been to the doctor
in Panajachel and had taken the baby to the hospital three separate times. She produced over 12 empty bottles of various types
of medicines prescribed by the doctors. Below is Hector praying for the baby while the mother cries and also a picture of
the baby taken in November:
After we met with this family I e-mailed an American nurse I had met who lives in Panajachel. Below is
a copy of the e-mail:
To: Sharon
Date: November 22, 2005
Sharon,
I hope this e-mail finds you
and your family well. I know your street hasn't done well but…
I'm writing because I have come
across a family in Santa Catarina that has a six month old male child, sick ever since birth. He has been taken him to doctors at the hospital in Solola
three different times as well as one private doctor here in Pana. They showed me the medicines they have purchased and it is distressing. The baby doesn't seem to get better.
Do you have any suggestions? It seems only one physician should treat this baby.
Thanks for your help.
Jim Guffey
==================================================
Sharon and I went to the family's house a few days later and Sharon examined the boy. She was bothered by the fact
the baby was so medicated and had been most of his life. At the conclusion she instructed the mother not to give the
baby any more medication, but to feed it formula and also some general instruction for her nursing and what she was drinking
herself. She also asked the mother to take the baby into the sunlight for 15 minutes during the day as the baby never
was taken out of the house and exposed to the sun. She stated she would return in seven days and left her home phone number
should they need to get ahold of her.
The following week in early December she and I returned to the house to discover the family was gone. They had
taken the baby once again to the hospital as the father decided he couldn't wait. We also discovered they continue the
medication against Sharon's advice. And so we left it in their hands.
In January, I saw the father walking down the street while we were driving and we stopped to inquire as to the health
of the baby. He informed us that the baby was in the hospital for the last five days. I gave him a little money
and wished him well.
Today, March 2, 2006 as we were in Santa Catarina we decided to go by the house and check on the baby once again.
The mother and father were both at home and informed us that the baby had died two weeks ago. They were trying to get
the baby to the hospital and about one block from the hospital the baby died. They immediately turned and began walking
to their home, in fear that the police might arrest them because they had the dead baby. Subsequently, they held a funeral
for the baby and it was buried in the middle of February, less than one year old and never in good health.
As we spoke to the parents they wept as they recounted the story. The father then told me how he had been borrowing
money, unable to work a lot in the past year since the baby has been born. He has borrowed over 4000Q (about $533) and
now cannot pay it back. He was supposed to make a payment today and he attempted to borrow more money to make the payment
but could not find anyone willing to loan him more money. He has a piece of property for growing corn on the steep side
of the mountain above the village that he is tried to sell with no luck.
We spoke to them about God's plan and trusting in him. Hector made it clear that we were just men like the father,
and that if help came through us it would be God choosing to work through us, not of ourselves. I told them that many
people in the United States and even around the world (you!) were aware of the situations here through the web site
and it was possible that God was using this story in the lives of people who were reading this web site (you again!).
If it is possible he is using you, leading you to consider a gift please click here.
These last two pictures were taken today, March 2, 2006 as we visited with the family.
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