While I realize boy dolly sponsors often intend their gift to be for boy children, when the doctor says “this one” you kind of have to go with it. Further, there were no older boy children admitted at the moment. Faith, however, was the perfect candidate for this gift from David. She laid in her bed whimpering. As a mother, being unable to help alleviate any child from the pain causing whimpering is excruciating. However, when the dolly was tucked under Faith’s arm she slowly began to examine the card tied around the dolly’s neck (the one helping me remember who the gift was from). The whimpering stopped for a short while. Thank you Jesus!
Faith’s health was a bit of a different case. She may suffer from Noonan Syndrome – a less common yet familiar-to-Mardi illness because of having seen a case many years ago. Her assessment led to the ordering of proper tests for confirmation and care for immediate needs. The whimpering began again. Faith’s grandmother held the girl as she whimpered unendingly. Oh how I longed to hold her for myself. Given the look of the grandmother, probably from a village, I presumed that Faith would not have had much exposure to white people and thus would likely cry harder if I were to pick her up…so I left her in the capable arms of her grandmother. Instead, as the team worked, I said a silent prayer for the easing of her pain and for the swift diagnosis and treatment…and for her family to know how to best care for her as she grows.
