On the back of a moto

On the back of a motorbike as we return from a visit I read a little sign`Dieu n'oublie personne', 'God doesn't forget people'. No, he doesn't. If he exists, he forgets whole families, whole countries, whole continents. And he might need to re-acqaint himself with the word 'justice', for there is none, something all the more apparent in these parts of the world.

I won't deny it as I am not a physician and therefore don't have to maintain a clinical detachment: there's a case that's getting to me. And yes, all cases do, they all have an intrinsic sadness about them, however, there is a family that has been dealt more than a fair share of misery.

Both parents have health problems, the mother is HIV positive and the father has an eye problem. They have 9 children. One of these children is also HIV positive. A three year old son, Emmanuel, who is the most adorable kid in Togo, has a severe hip deformation; both feet are rotated outward at 90 degrees from where they should be. He might have some other problems too but only time will tell. Then there are the two month old twins, Bernard and François. Adorable! Bernard is ill however, and doesn't appear to be doing well. It absolutely breaks your heart. Then there is 21 year old son Koffi. Koffi has a severe health problem that appears to be somewhat obscure and the docs don't really seem to understand. He has been hospitalised for two months, undergone multiple scans and has undergone surgery -racking up a bill so huge that his parents can't pay it. He is home now but when I went to visit I was told that he had been unconscious again this morning. All his current medications are adding to the horrible bill that his parents have. How much more misfortune can befall this family?

PDH have paid everything so far but with so much misery in one family it is hard to keep paying for everything, particularly since the resources here are so limited and there are so many people that need help. If this continues for too long, the staff here will have to make some very hard decisions. The amount for the total bill for Kofi that we're talking about? Less than $1000.

On the back of that motorbike, tears spilled from underneath my sunglasses.