Sunday, June 12, 2011


The heart warming and heart challenging work goes on here.
Osman is an eight year old boy that came to us at the beginning of the outreach. He fell from a tree when he was approximately five years of age and broke his leg. His parents believing that the very best they could do for their son was to bring him to traditional healers. The traditional healers placed hot leaves on Osman's leg burning his leg and thus causing his leg to contracture leaving Osman's leg useless to him. He hobbled on the ship with a small crutch and a broad grin. He came to the outpatients department for dressing changes for the open wounds on his leg our goal was that the wounds would heal enough for Dr. Teritus Venter,a plastic surgeon, to operate to release the contractured leg in hopes that Osman could walk again.
His family lived miles from the ship so we showed Osman's father how to do the dressing and sent them home for three weeks at a time with dressing supplies. Each time Osman and his dad returned to the ship we noticed an improvement in the wounds on his leg. Dr. Teritus arrived on the ship in June and assessed Osman's leg he decided Osman would be a good candidate for a surgery releasing the burn contracture. Osman received his surgery with complications a few days later of an arterial bleed. Doctors rushed him back to surgery for vascular surgery in hopes that his leg could be saved. The next few days were an emotional roller coaster for his family and staff who were taking care of heroic little Osman. Throughout this time Osman's family only had thanks to give for the care he received. By Saturday it was decided by the doctors to remove Osman's leg he went back to surgery and his leg was amputated above the knee. Before going back to the operating room his dad had tears in his eyes and Osman said "Daddy, have courage." Osman's smiling face is now on the ward doing well. One of his primary nurses broke down and wondered what the Lord's purpose in all this has been? Why would He send this family to the ship with such hopes of healing and that their son would walk again only in the end to have his leg amputated?
A side note Dr. Teritus has a web site that many of you may find very interesting.
http://www.torquetalk.nl/

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