Hey everybody...the internet has been down and now the bus is leaving in 10 minutes for that 8 hour return-trip to Nairobi...I will leave for London around 11pm and then have a 7 hour layover (might have breakfast in Covent Garden) then I arrive home Sunday afternoon...since I last wrote a lot has happened and I have pushed my emotions to the back of my mind so I may deal with them in a more appropriate place...in short, we visited 2 orphanages, 2 schools, and a children's cancer ward. These experiences were rich and the pictures will tell you more than my words are able. Two other things happened that shook us a bit.
I went back yesterday to the cancer ward to bring some gifts, and there was a woman, alone, wailing. I was debating whether or not to bother her and see what was wrong, pretty much knowing what was wrong. I decided to go comfort her and learned that her first born son, who was just in front of us behind a curtain, had just passed away. She was unconsolable, as you can imagine, but I just hugged her and held her hand. She kept saying "what am I going to do?" and all I could say is she did not have to worry about that right now, just breathe. Meanwhile I was above her, hugging her, crying myself...not much help.
On Thursday I was walking down the hall and I saw someone being pushed down the hall on a cart...there was blood everywhere and it was falling to the floor...I could not make out if it was a man or woman, but I saw the gashes...it was a woman, and she was being pushed down the hall past all the patients (we shared a operating theatre)...turns out her husband hacked her multiple times and in the end she died. Apparently the neighbors went to the husband and killed him for his crime; the police called it justice. We all saw the woman and were all pretty shaken. I have the article from the paper the next day if anyone wants to read it. The article ends with a paragraph of a related story: a boy did not watch his cattle properly and they went on someone else's property, so the 7 year old boy was also hacked and killed. It was pretty matter of fact.
These instances aside, our trip has been successful and we operated on 140 patients...Kenya is beautiful and for the most part safe. It is a place filled with friendly people and I am so grateful to have been a part of something so wonderful. I will see you all soon...bus is leaving! S.
