A Hope for Life!

Last week, one of our 7th grade boys that is 19 years old, Bertho Louis came to Lifeline with his very illl, 15 year old sister that had been living in the mountain with her father. Now first of all I want you to know that Bertho lives by himself after his mother recently died this past year. Bertho makes his living by going and getting small bags of water and selling them in the open market and then taking the money back to the owner and what little surplus he makes extra is his to keep. But Bertho knows how sick his sister is and he is trying to be the responsible one to take care of her. When she came to Lifeline, we immediately had her tested and found that she was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. That is exactly what his mother died from. This girl's name is Madege Louis and is 15 years old and only weighs 64 pounds. I know we can't imagine anything like this for our children, but in Haiti, life is so much more severe. And I am sorry to report to you that this wasn't the worst of the problem. After trying to treat this young lady, she tells us that her brother that is 17 is still in the mountain and that he is much worse than her. My mind went crazy! Now, I am standing here looking at this young lady that in my mind, by the looks of her, may not be alive tomorrow and then she tells me of her brother. So I tell Bertho, go and get him right away and bring him down from the mountain so we can help him before he dies. The next day, Bertho comes with his brother, Rolando Louis and his father. Sure enough Rolando is much more severe than Madege. Being 17, he only weighs 62 pounds and is so weak that he cannot walk.
Bertho is carrying him into lifeline. We immediately seek Dr. Yves help and ask what do we do? The Doctor gave them some medicine and we helped them with food and they went back to the small one room house at Barbancourt where Bertho resides.
Bertho said he would sleep outside while his brother and sister could stay inside the room. However, the father had responsiblities in the mountain of animals and garden, and he did not even pass one night with the children. After the week-end we recieved the news that the boy was not getting any better and there was no time to waste. When we went to get him, he was laying lifeless and I asked where is Bertho and they replied that he had got up very early to go work in someones garden so he could help them. We called for him to come so we could take the two children to the hospital and when he came then I ask him how much he made for working in the garden and he told me fifty gourdes and that is a little over one dollar so I just gave him the money for the day that he would have made because he needed to go with us to take care of his brother and sister. In Haiti every hospital does not accept all patients. So because the two youths had TB we drove to four hospitals and that truly meant a day of driving to finally find one that would accept them in. When we got there the time was after two and they didn't accept patients. BUT, I AM FOR SURE THAT GOD HAD A HAND IN THE PLAN!! because, the gateman allowed us to come in. Bertho carried his brother into the facility and we recieved immediate help for our two patients. Without money to take care of them, I knew that this was truly a LIFE OR DEATH sitauation that had to be taken care of, and I know that God will provide the funds that we need to care for these dear, precious children. Please pray for them and I will keep you posted on their status. ONLY GOD, can move the mountains that the people of Haiti have to endure just to survive each day! WHO could not have compassion on a situation such as this?!