a little girls freedom!

just wanted to share with you a little bit of joy that was on the wards today, so you can smile too....Afi has been stuck behind a curtain, surrounding her bed for the last 3 weeks...our attempt at isolation nursing, as she was growing a nasty bug in her sputum, that would have caused havock if spread around the ward. but today those results came back negative.

so let me just fill you in on the importance of these results. this was the one and only course of imipenim antibiotics this little one could have (there were only 40 vials of this medication on the ship, $2000 a 7 day course!) she's had 2 other courses of antibiotics over the last few weeks, neither of which worked; instead making this bacteria even more resistant. so all in all this was the last medical intervention we had. if the bugs remained, Afi's chest wouldnt survive surgery and her massive oral tumour - that has already blocked her airway making her need a tracheostomy would remain; no surgery, still with a tumour, still making it o so hard to eat, and eventually suffocating. all because of some bacteria.

BUT, this isnt the picture at the moment. today i had the greatest of pleasure with Liz ripping down the curtains that were held up with magnets, that had been surrounding her, (all walls and ceilings in the ship are magnetic) to the sound of all the nurses cheering and lifting their hands to the heavens in thanks to Jesus. the patients were all looking on bewildered for a short while, until the translator explained and they then joined with us in the celebrations. the walls were bleached, the bedding changed and little Afi spent the remainder of the afternoon wandering around the ward, ever so happy and content watching and learning.

something that shes been unable to do for 3 weeks. yes 3 weeks a little 10 year old girl has been stuck with her mamma in the corner of D ward with a curtain wall dividing her from all of the rest of the room - but now those little pesty bugs have been eradicated and shes free to roam.
just one prayer request - that her surgery, which is planned for sometime in the next week or two (the surgery schedule is packed) would happen, and she would be protected and bug free until then.