(This story is a bit graphic....)
Meet Michael.
Michael remembers the exact date his leg started hurting over 2 years ago - February 25th, 2011. He lives in a very rural part of Kenya. When his lower right leg swelled and began hurting, his parents took him to a district hospital for treatment. Doctors performed a surgery to cut around the swelling, but found no cause. He was given oral medication and "something like sugar" (his words) to put on his wound. The wound dried but never healed. After only one day of finishing the prescribed medication, the wound began to worsen again. He was taken to a different hospital, where x-rays were taken. Doctors there said they could find nothing wrong and sent him home again, with no treatment.
The wound continued to worsen. His family bought a traditional medicine made from herbs that are burned to make an ash which is then applied to the wound. He said this treatment helped for a while and he used it for about one week. By April 2011, two months after his leg began to hurt, his family could afford no further treatment, even the traditional ashes. Michael's wound continued to affect his lower leg, an area about the size of his palm. Through the rest of that year and all of 2012, the wound continued, slowly spreading, but he received no medical care. At some point, he stopped attending school.
By March 2013, the wound had grown to affect a large surface down the front of his right leg and extended down either side. It had a very bad smell, drained blood and pus, and was so deep that bone was exposed. One day in March, a piece of bone fell out of the lower part of the wound. He showed me the indentation on his leg where this happened, which is now healed over with skin. Later that same month, a hard swelling began on the front of his leg until finally a shard of bone broke through the top of the wound. He says this was very painful. Thankfully, after that he felt very little pain from the wound. As he tells me this story, a few inches of this bone is still exposed and sticks out the front of his leg a few inches below his knee, catching the hem of his trousers when he rolls them up to show me his leg. He still received no treatment and tells me he has taken no medications, but washes the wound with warm salt water three times a day.
In May of this year, still with no money for treatment, his family sent Michael to Eldoret to be prayed for. Since that time, he has been living with his older sister in Kipkaren slum. On Monday August 14th, he walked, alone, to our free medical clinic in Kipkaren, hoping to get help. The photo below is a photo of part of Michael's wound the day he walked to our clinic.
After many days of waiting, and two admissions to the hospital, Michael was finally operated on last Sunday to remove dead tissue and bone from his leg. The first few days after surgery were rough, as he was in a lot of pain. I tried to encourage him in my basic Swahili, but mostly I just brought him anything he asked for - juice, cake, fruit, soda, potatoes, chapati, hot dogs, a hat (and also his more humble requests for soap and bottled water.)
After a few days, his pain was well controlled with medication and he really cheered up. He was able to get out of bed and stroll around the ward in a wheelchair, and walk with assistance and a walker.
This past Friday when I visited, they measured him for crutches but the hospital workshop had no wood to make crutches. I bought him a pair of adjustable, aluminum crutches from a pharmacy in town.
The hospital staff had said if I brought crutches back by 5pm, a therapist would teach him how to use them. He was very happy to get his own crutches!
Michael was told after he learned to use crutches he could go home in a few days. But, over the weekend, it was discovered that the infection in his leg is not improving as hoped, so he will remain admitted for some time so the wound can be managed.
Please keep praying for his quick and complete recovery!!!!
Want to help Michael?
- We are in need of donations to cover the costs of his medical expenses. You can donate through Open Arms website - be sure to put Michael in the comments section to designate that your donation will go towards his care!
http://openarmsinternational.com/donate-now/
- Want to send him a card? E-mail me a scanned Get Well card or other encouraging note and I will print them and take them to the hospital! (Keep it simple! He mostly speaks Swahili!)
- Please keep him in your prayers!
He spent Monday morning taking tests to determine what grade he could be placed into. By the end of the day he had a school uniform, and an invitation to stay at the head teacher's home during the week, to save him from long daily commutes from Kipkaren! Michael took all of this news in quietly. That evening, he was given transport money to return to Kipkaren - this time to pack his clothes and return the next morning to Open Arms.
