I was not aware that bones that heal improperly could cause no pain. I was not aware that a bone sticking out of skin will not necessarily bring infection or pain. I was not aware that a child could walk and even run on a broken leg. But a few days ago, I learned something new.
An 8 year old boy was brought to my door. A relative of one of the women that I know here. He had walked back with her from a village about 10km away. I was completely shocked at the sight of the front shin bone sticking out of his leg. You could see the marrow in the bone! The boy sat stoically showing no sign of discomfort.
I asked some obvious questions. "When did this happen?"
Four years ago.
"FOUR YEARS AGO? Why did you wait so long to seek help?"
His father is dead and his relatives had no money. They took him to a clinic and they gave him some medicine to drink.
"Is it painful?"
No.
"Can he walk on it?"
Oh, he can run on it.
I was shocked to say the least.
But the child has grown a lot in four years and there is obvious internal damage. His growth plates are growing improperly and his bones are growing improperly. I have no idea how it looks inside but externally it looks bad. The leg is stunted and thick and the child is bent over when he walks or runs. Yet he is managing, but for how long?
There is a hospital in Addis that does professional surgeries for free for children under the age of 16. And so since this apparently not an emergency, a consultation appointment will take place in September and hopefully surgery will follow immediately or in the coming months. It sounds like there is a long waiting list but my hope is to see this boy running in a year's time healed from surgery. My hope is that this boy and this family might know the Lord through all that will come.
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