Barboncoure

Today started off quite eventful when a father brought his six year old daughter to the lifeline clinic just after sunrise. He carried her down the mountain, a two to three hour hike, seeking care for a systemic fungal and scabies infection. The diseases had progressed to the point that over 75 percent of her body was covered in sores. Some of the lesions, especially on her head, had become infected, further exacerbating the problem. Several of us jumped in, calming and caring for her until the doctor arrived. She was given a medication regimen free of charge, and follow up care will be provided when we hike to her village tomorrow morning.

After the initial excitement of the morning, we packed up and headed to Barboncoure to set up another clinic at Lifeline’s school. The hike there was absolutely beautiful and included weaving through banana trees and over streams. Following our arrival, we set up vitals, assessment, skin and wound care, and pharmacy stations. When we opened the doors, an incredible crowd was awaiting our help. In total, we cared for 235 patients. We saw various problems, including fungal, wound, and vaginal infections. All of our patient were dewormed and given vitamins.

When we finished our scrumptious lunch of MREs, we headed off to another orphanage not far from the school. When we visited in August, we provided care to this same batch of children. It was a true gift to get to see them all again. We dewormed, gave vitamins, and treated skin infections. The children had a great time singing Father Abraham for us, just as they had last year.

The day finished off on a high note, with a total of 285 patients treated by our group. The mission had a wonderful treat fixed for us this afternoon: fried bread served with french vanilla icing. We finished off the evening with a hair braiding and pedicure party, which the girls AND guys participated in! We have to get to bed early tonight though, because tomorrow at 4:30 AM is our big hike up the 2,200 foot mountain!

For today’s pictures, go to the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60783408@N02

Caleb Dean, Angela Hall