When I attended Mass in Narulang, I noticed a little girl who was walking with difficulty.
After the Mass, I had a conversation with the girl’s mother Jenny about her family. She shared with me that her daughter was born with a problem with her left foot; it was different from the right foot. When the little girl was one month old, they brought her to the Provincial Hospital for a medical checkup, but due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the hospital did not accept them. So, they went back home without any advice.
Jenny also shared about her husband’s work and his small salary. She wanted to go back to the hospital, but it was difficult for them because their place is quite far from the city. The family has five children and the father is working on the farm. His meager salary is just enough for their daily food and for sending their children to school. I talked immediately with Columban Fr. Enrique who is the parish priest in that place. He and I decided to help Jenny’s family, especially the little girl.
When I was talking with Jenny about her little girl, I remembered a similar experience with two children from my previous ministry. One of them had a problem like the little girl from Narulang. I encouraged the mother to bring him to the hospital for treatment. She agreed. However, it was a long process and she had to spend a lot of money. Sometimes, it is difficult for those families living far away from the hospital to go through this very tiresome process. For this reason, the mother did not continue with the treatment, particularly because the child was a bit bigger already. He is still walking with difficulty, unlike other children. I feel sorry for him, even though I tried my best. I just could not do more.
The other child was a girl who had a motorbike accident. Her hip was badly affected. When her parents brought her to the hospital, the doctors just took an X-ray and didn’t find any problem. So, they sent her back home. After a few days, I saw her walking with difficulty. I asked her mother what was going on. She said that it would be okay after a few weeks. Time passed by, but her condition didn’t change. I encouraged her mother to bring her to the hospital again. This time I went with her. I listened to what the doctors said and talked with them about the girl’s condition. After all the examinations, they admitted the little girl. It was a long, very hard, and painful process for the little girl. Fortunately, it was very successful. Now she is already 13 years old and walking normally, without any problem. I’m happy for her because now she lives her life with a walking issue.
Having this kind of experience with these two other children, I encouraged Jenny to go back to the hospital and have her daughter receive a medical check-up. By 2022, the situation with the pandemic had become better than in the previous year. The little girl was attended to by the doctors in the hospital. We helped the family with a small amount, but I needed to follow up on the little girl’s improvements. Once a week, they had to go back to the hospital to check and change the cast to see if she had improved or not. This going back and forth to the hospital continued for almost one year. Jennifer, the little girl, had surgery after a year. It went well, and she recovered quickly. Afterward, the doctors recommended special shoes for her to use. She wore the shoes for quite some time. It was also a long, painful process, but again, it was very successful.
Now, I still visit families in Narulang as a part of my ministry. I see the little girl Jennifer running, walking and playing with other children without impediment. I’m really happy for her and her parents because she is continuing to live a happy life. I am just thinking, if children like Jennifer grow up without being treated it will certainly be very difficult and painful for the children and their parents.
I believe that every child has the right to have a good childhood and a better life. However, circumstances in life sometimes prevent them from having it, especially for the poor ones in the community. Jesus encourages us to be like a child, therefore, we need to feel how they feel and find ways to continue helping them to have a healthier and livelier existence.
Columban lay missionary Ana Flores lives and works in the Philippines.