We had an opportunity to accompany Mary on four Holy Family Clinic patients' home visits today. To say it was overwhelming is an understatement. The living conditions were very different than that with which we are accustom. However, our purpose wasn't to note the conditions. We were there to ensure the patients were well and they were keeping up with their medications.
Each person we visited welcomed us into their home to talk about their lives and their health. It was outstanding to witness the love Mary poured into the patients as she talked with them about how they were feeling and progressing on their medications. She displayed such grace and compassion as she listened to their stories. She openly expressed her concerns as the patients shared their trails and celebrated their accomplishments as they shared their progress.
Our first patient was in considerable pain and needed medical attention though has no funds to pay for it. She can't work due to her condition and her family is trying to raise the needed money. Her youngest daughter dropped out of high school to work in hopes of earning enough to help pay for her medical needs. All of this has come up short. She is currently existing on the support the Tree of Lives programs provides though it too is not enough. My heart went out to her seeing her pain and knowing all I had to offer were my time, ears to hear, and prayers. All of which she gratefully accepted as we left her house.
We moved on to visit with our second client who was a delight. She was supervising the construction of 7 apartments in her compound. She was happy to have us come in and talk with her. She's doing well, though she is under quit a bit of stress due to her youngest son, Peter. Nonetheless, she's been following her medical regimen and it's showing. We learn she has 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. Two of her children are in university; one is in medical school and another is in business school. Her youngest son dropped out of high school and her youngest daughter is grammar school. She sells clothing she makes at a local market. Given the civil unrest in these days her sales have decline. She is making due with the resources she has been given plus the support she receives from her children.
Our second client's son, Peter referenced above, joined our conversation. His story moved me beyond words. What our client doesn't know is her son dropped out of High School to care for her. He shared his grades with us and we all chided him for dropping out especially because he has a very strong academic record. He shared that he spent time angry with her for being sick. He's gotten over his anger and now he just wants to help her and that's what he's doing. His dream is to be a Minister and minster to gang members in Southern California. He's convinced that when he shares God's word with them, they will walk away from the gang life and follow the Lord's ways. Until that time, he needs to be with his Mom. He did ask our advice and we told his school can be hard, and isn't always fun, but it is required for him to do all he said he wanted to do. He accepted our advise and agreed to come in for counseling to help him while he is in transition.
Our third client was struggling. Tree of Lives programs have helped her with a number of medical issues she'd had in previous years and she id quite thankful. She doesn't work in the winter months which began in early June and runt through August. In sharing what was going on with her, we learned she wasn't taking her medication as prescribed. She has no food to eat and stopped taking the medication because it make her sick when taken on an empty stomach. Wow, what can/do you say to that? Mary found the words of encouragement and got the client to agree to try several different options.
Our forth and final client of the day broke my heart. She had a beautiful healthy 6 month old baby girl; however, she was on a downward spiral. She was sick, not taking her medication, and her house was in a squalor. Mary had to give her some tough love to get her to understand the gravity of her situation. The client seemed unphased. All we could do was look at the baby and pray that the mother loved her daughter enough to do something different.
When we finished that visit, we asked Mary what happens next. Do they debrief clients? Yes, they do and it starts all over again. We asked how she emotionally manages all that she encounters in a day. We were drained after just 4 visits, we can only imagine how she must feel doing this all day every day. Her response was quick and simple. My children erase the pain and worry away. I come home to them running up to hug and kiss me. That washes away a lot of the emotional toll.
As I said when I started the blog, there's no place like home.
Yvette
Each person we visited welcomed us into their home to talk about their lives and their health. It was outstanding to witness the love Mary poured into the patients as she talked with them about how they were feeling and progressing on their medications. She displayed such grace and compassion as she listened to their stories. She openly expressed her concerns as the patients shared their trails and celebrated their accomplishments as they shared their progress.
Our first patient was in considerable pain and needed medical attention though has no funds to pay for it. She can't work due to her condition and her family is trying to raise the needed money. Her youngest daughter dropped out of high school to work in hopes of earning enough to help pay for her medical needs. All of this has come up short. She is currently existing on the support the Tree of Lives programs provides though it too is not enough. My heart went out to her seeing her pain and knowing all I had to offer were my time, ears to hear, and prayers. All of which she gratefully accepted as we left her house.
We moved on to visit with our second client who was a delight. She was supervising the construction of 7 apartments in her compound. She was happy to have us come in and talk with her. She's doing well, though she is under quit a bit of stress due to her youngest son, Peter. Nonetheless, she's been following her medical regimen and it's showing. We learn she has 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. Two of her children are in university; one is in medical school and another is in business school. Her youngest son dropped out of high school and her youngest daughter is grammar school. She sells clothing she makes at a local market. Given the civil unrest in these days her sales have decline. She is making due with the resources she has been given plus the support she receives from her children.
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| Peter and His Mom \\ |
Our third client was struggling. Tree of Lives programs have helped her with a number of medical issues she'd had in previous years and she id quite thankful. She doesn't work in the winter months which began in early June and runt through August. In sharing what was going on with her, we learned she wasn't taking her medication as prescribed. She has no food to eat and stopped taking the medication because it make her sick when taken on an empty stomach. Wow, what can/do you say to that? Mary found the words of encouragement and got the client to agree to try several different options.
Our forth and final client of the day broke my heart. She had a beautiful healthy 6 month old baby girl; however, she was on a downward spiral. She was sick, not taking her medication, and her house was in a squalor. Mary had to give her some tough love to get her to understand the gravity of her situation. The client seemed unphased. All we could do was look at the baby and pray that the mother loved her daughter enough to do something different.
When we finished that visit, we asked Mary what happens next. Do they debrief clients? Yes, they do and it starts all over again. We asked how she emotionally manages all that she encounters in a day. We were drained after just 4 visits, we can only imagine how she must feel doing this all day every day. Her response was quick and simple. My children erase the pain and worry away. I come home to them running up to hug and kiss me. That washes away a lot of the emotional toll.
As I said when I started the blog, there's no place like home.
Yvette
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