A Medical Miracle

We, Anna and Anne from Germany, have been working on a medical project since the beginning of October. We first got called over to a house in the village on Oct. 3, only knowing that we would find a sick guy with wounds. Assuming he would have decubitus ulcers (commonly referred to as bed sores), we got the medical supplies that Guanin provides and made our way to meet Rafael.

We turned out to be right, as we found a paralyzed patient with the typical decubitus from sitting in a wheelchair. The conditions were worse than we could ever have imagined—In a little shack, we found him laying on a urine-soaked mattress, and the room filled with the whir of hundreds of flies. The floor was covered in trash and the naked patient had leftovers of food and newspaper stuck to his skin. As describing the wounds would be too pictorial, we will just leave it by saying that the condition was bad and could easily have endangered his life.

After cleaning everything out, rebuilding and fixing the house with the help of neighbours, a few home visits done by several volunteering doctors and visits every 2-3 days, his condition is improving constantly. We are proud to say that three of his wounds have closed and nearly finished the healing process, while one wound is still healing. Every two days, we visit him with food, clean sheets, and clothing, brighten his day up with music, teach him German, clean his wounds and give him a massage on his legs, hands, arms, and back.

From a very desperate, commanding and swearing guy, Rafael has now turned into a very good friend that we enjoy visiting. Although he still must learn to treat other people well, he now cooperates with cleaning himself and the rubbish up as good as possible and is on the best way to be cured.