|
Helping Others
I was
blessed with the opportunity to join Mercy and Truth Medical Missions for the
trip of a lifetime. This trip consisted of a
cultural experience,
language barriers, educating others, delivering babies, and most of all helping
a burn victim who changed my life. The most amazing moment for me happened when
we had set up a clinic near the Senegalese river. A woman was escorted into the
clinic by the help of her father, all I could hear was people in the background
saying, “Make way here comes a Leper.” I jumped at the opportunity to have this
young woman come into my exam room. The unfortunate soul had received third
degree burns on her arm from the elbow to her finger tips as well as her calf to
her toes on the right side of her body, this incident I came to find out had
happened 18 days earlier with no treatment to speak of. I informed the family
that we would need them to bring us a tub with boiled water, soap, and cloth to
wrap the wound.
When the
family returned I began the diligent task of removing dead tissue from her arm
and leg with the minimal supplies I
had. The only medication I was able to provide her with was Ibuprofen and
antibiotics and I can assure you not nearly enough pain medication. This young
girl was approximately 23 years old at most which struck my heart since I was
the same age. Never once did she complain about the pain of which I am sure she
was in. As gently as I could I removed the rotting flesh, a major cause of
infection. I wrapped both areas with antibiotic ointment and instructed them to
return the following day with the same supplies and new cloth.
The next
morning the family came back with a look of hope on their faces. I once again
scrubbed the wounds this time showing the family each step I was taking. After I
had completed this task the young woman’s family each came up and gave me a hug.
I instructed them how to further care for wounds and gave them the antibiotics
and pain medications. I believe that without our group setting up clinic in that
area she would have lost both her lower arm and leg. I have never in my life
felt such a reward, as that young girl leaving with a smile on her face. She was
no longer an outcast of her village, but the victim of a tragedy that would
recover with scars and full range of motion.
Lauren Mall,
RN, BSN
   
   
Return to Home |