I was just getting ready to update the blog and saw that I never published this post. I really hope it blesses you all. Have a great day!!
This week was a bit different, since every house is different our visits always change. So, we went to Chelstone and met the children there. They were all sweet but the one who caught our attention was, Lydia. She is five and was malnourished for most of her life until a few months ago when she came to Tree of Life. She is so very sweet.
Lydia came to us during CAMPLIFE this past summer, our doctor on duty was in one of the communities and when a mother came with a sick boy. Unfortunately, nothing could be done with the boy and he died, but he saw Lydia on her mother's back looking spaced and very thin. He immediately said he needed to see her. After speaking with the mom and taking her to the clinic she was weighed at about 17 pounds and four years old. She was severely malnourished and was not making eye contact with anyone. Our doctor friend, Brad Guffey, said she was a few days away from dying.
She was taken to UTH hospital and after obtaining medical consent from the mother she was admitted in the malnourished ward. The doctors there made every effort to bring her back to health and gave her fortified milk, she would only be released when she gained over 10 pounds.
To make the long story short, God did a miraculous thing for Lydia, she was only released another gaining four pounds because the hospital needed the bed. Well, she was then taken to our transitional home but only after getting full custody from the family, not a small task.
She was given the fortified milk plus a peanut butter mix she was to eat and drink all day. After many tests, it was found out she is HIV positive, has both tuberculosis and epilepsy. The tuberculosis was thought to have gone to her brain resulting in her inactivity to relate to others and many other symptoms.
Her story sounds dim and hopeless but we serve a mighty God who loves to defy science and man. When we saw her in December, she looked chubby and had the sweetest disposition. Last week, she was taken to the clinic and weighed at 42 pounds!!
She took her first steps with our friend Ashleigh and even learned to smile, a simple gesture not even her muscles were used to.
She is a totally different child, all thanks to God!
On our way home, I was talking to the children and Simeon said, "Mom, is meeting Lydia like talking with an angel?"
I said, "yes my boy, she is our little angel!"
