wfn.org | [LCMSNews] Team treats record numbers in Kenya

["LCMS e-News" <LCMSENEWS@lcms.org>]

> 	
>	
> 	
>	
>6.11.2009		
>	LCMS News	 	
> 	

>THE LUTHERAN CHURCH Missouri Synod  	 	
>	

	

	June 11, 2009 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 48

LCMS medical team treats record numbers in Kenya

>By Kim Plummer Krull

On the last day of the most recent Mercy Medical Team (MMT) trip to
western Kenya, members treated a record-breaking 454 patients in one day
-- and played a critical role in an emergency delivery that saved the
lives of a young Kenyan woman and her newborn child.

"Every time, something happens, but it's usually not as dramatic as
this," said Scarlet Holcombe, MMT special projects coordinator. "This
was truly an amazing reminder of why we do what we do."

Helping the Kenyan woman who had been in labor for more than 16 hours
proved the emotional highpoint of four medical clinics, held April
13-24, in two poor communities -- in Kisumu, at the newly reopened
Lutheran Medical Clinic, and at a medical clinic in Atemo, both in
partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK).

Sponsored by LCMS World Relief and Human Care, the 13-member team
(including eight volunteers, two MMT staff, and three Kenyan nurse
practitioners) treated a total of 1,172 patients. Many stood in long
lines for the rare opportunity to see a doctor or nurse. Ailments
included fungal infections, malnutrition, and aches and pains
exacerbated by the African custom of carrying heavy loads atop the head.

During the last clinic in Atemo, MMT member Dr. Mana Kasongo was asked
to check on a woman in the maternity ward near the MMT clinic.

"The instant I walked in, I knew this woman had been in labor too long,"
said Kasongo, an emergency room physician in Albany, Ga. "She was
thoroughly exhausted and going into shock. Her mother kept saying she
needed to push because they couldn't afford to go to a private
hospital."

Kasongo examined the woman, 18 and pregnant with her first child. The
baby's heart rate had dropped dangerously low. The mother needed a
Cesarean section, but the clinic lacked the necessary equipment for a
safe delivery.

Quickly, the team enlisted Rev. David Chuchu, Diakonia Compassionate
Ministry project coordinator for the ELCK, to drive the woman to a
nearby hospital. The MMT paid for the emergency surgery, using a
last-minute donation to Kasongo from a stranger who had told the doctor
"she felt she needed to make a contribution" for the Kenya trip. The
woman's donation covered the operation that the pregnant woman's family
could not afford.

The next day, MMT members visited the hospital where both the mother and
daughter looked healthy and happy. Through Chuchu, Kasongo learned that
the new parents had named their daughter "Mana" after the MMT doctor.

"This was probably one of the most profound things I've ever taken part
in," Kasongo said of her first MMT. Although she was born in Africa,
Kasongo grew up in the United States. The trip provided an emotional
reminder, she said, of why she entered the medical profession.

She also got a reminder of God's love. "I recognized what God's love is,
and it's so much larger than medicine," Kasongo said. "I am the one who
really gained from this."

A return MMT to Kenya is set for July 3-12. Eleven team members have
signed up, but the group could use another doctor, nurse practitioner,
or physician's assistant. Slots also are open for the Oct. 21-Nov. 1 MMT
to Madagascar.

LCMS WR-HC coordinates Mercy Medical Teams as opportunities for medical
professionals to volunteer in poor communities and strengthen the
capacity of local Lutheran partners. To volunteer, donate funds or
medical supplies, or learn more, contact Jacob Fiene, WR-HC manager of
medical and material resources, at 800-248-1930, ext. 1278, or visit the
Web site www.lcms.org/mercyteams <http://www.lcms.org/mercyteams> .

Kim Plummer Krull is a freelance writer and a member of St. Paul's
Lutheran Church, Des Peres, Mo.

>****************************************

If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release, contact
Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org
<mailto:joe.isenhower@lcms.org>  or (314) 996-1231, or Paula Schlueter
Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org <mailto:paula.ross@lcms.org>  or (314)
996-1230.

>****************************************

>	
> 	

This Edition of "LCMS News" e-News is provided
by:

Board for Communication Services, Division of News and Information

Contact Editor

<http://www.lcms.org/enews/contact_editor.asp?title=LCMS%20News&editori d
=6> 
	

This LCMS e-News message comes from a "Send Only" mailbox that
does not recognize replies. To reply to this message, please click on
"Contact Editor" above.

>_____

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this Newsletter and many others,
please visit LCMS e-News <http://www.lcms.org/enews> .
Share this Newsletter <http://www.lcms.org/enews/forward.asp?m=7691
with a Friend. 	
MessageId=7691 UserId=10073

>_____

© 2002 - 2008 The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod  <http://www.lcms.org/
.
No reproduction without consent. All rights reserved.