We went back to HEAL Africa to visit Yohanita, the 41-year old woman we had found in the village of Malehe to be suffering from infection and severe malnutrition. I was relieved to see that she was lying in bed, fully conscious, and able to speak in full sentences. Feza, the girl who came down from the village, was at her bedside and feeding her some porridge and potatoes, which Yohanita was eating in big spoonfuls.
“How are you?” I asked Yohanita. She responded that she is fine. She misses her family, but said that she is glad to be in the hospital and eating.
Yohanita’s fever was done. Since she was severely dehydrated, she is continuing to receive saline by IV. She is also being treated with antibiotics for her bedsores. The plan is to continue the refeeding and wound care, and to address any other underlying problems that may complicate her recovery. She will probably remain at the hospital for a month, possibly longer, to get her nutritional status back in order and her wounds tended to.
Through a translator, we found out more about Yohanita’s story. Some time late last year or early this year, she had a miscarriage. In March, she fell and probably fractured her pelvis. Because she had spent the family’s money on her last hospital stay, there was no money left to send her to the hospital this time. She could not move, and for three months, had been lying in her home in terrible pain. The bedsores are a result of her immobility. At the same time, she has not been eating because the family had no food, and since the villagers had similar problems, the family has not had help. Yohanita’s rapid deterioration is likely a combination of immobility and starvation.
As Yohanita’s story unfolded, our translator, a man my age named Patient, burst into tears and left the room. Outside, he told me that seeing Yohanita reminded him of so many people he knew who were in the same plight.
“The soldiers go, but they take all your things, and then you have no money, no food, no house,” he said. “And they rape you and kill your family. Then they might come back tomorrow, the next day, the next week, and do it all over again. Things are just like this. There are no more human values in this country.”
Yohanita wanted us to visit her village and let family members know that she is better, and that she misses them. We did that this afternoon, and her mother was thrilled to hear that she is now eating. We have tried to assist her to the best of our abilities with food and hospital payment. But there are many more like her who are out there, who have nothing, who get sick and die an excruciating but silent death. Who will know of their pain and suffering? Who will care?
In this war-torn country that has not known peace since before its colonial days, perhaps even the basic level of compassion is too much to ask for.
P.S. I continue to be impressed by the work of HEAL Africa. Not only do they provide medical services to people in need, they use a holistic approach to address issues like education, employment, and community-building. To assist with Yohanita’s care, or to contribute to their organization, please visit www.healafrica.org.
