The story of Joseph's grandmother
During a visit to one of the District Referral Sites (DRS) visited by the travelling eye care caravan, one Maasai women (who had travelled for hours to get to the DRS site) asked us to go into the village and help her mother. We drove approximately 30 minutes further and further into the bush. I’m don’t’ know the mileage (it’s hard to calculate when you never get out of 2nd gear due to the bumps in the dirt road – when there is a road).
We arrived at the family hut. There were two huts – one for the husband/wife and mother and a second smaller hut for the child. The main hut is approximately 12 x 12 and has two rooms. I should also mention that the goats live inside the hut as well. If the goats stay outside they would likely be killed which would be a huge loss. The goat represents food - or money, if they choose to sell it.
We were greeted very warmly and asked to have a seat in their home while they prepared the mother. It took approximately 15 minutes for family members to get her out of her room. While I was waiting, I went outside the hut to view the surroundings. I became friends with the grandson of the patient - Joseph. He is a happy, adventurous and very proud young man – not unlike the children in North America. He is very excited that he will be starting kindergarten next year and that the school is close to his village. He loves his home and is especially proud that he has his own hut to sleep in. He is also proud that his family is rich enough to have a goat (which he often sleeps with). He knows the goat will be killed by his family or whoever they sell it to and he is fine with this.
The ophthalmologist examined Joseph’s grandmother. Unfortunately there was nothing that could be done to help her. She was fully blind in one eye and while the nerves were not completely dead in the second eye, it was just a matter of time. Upon hearing the news (through a translator and not from a family member) she showed no emotion! She just turned around and walked back into her hut.
I know that this type of thing happens every day in North America (and around the world) when doctors have to tell patients there is no hope. I think it just bothered me so much more witnessing her stength in accepting the decison. After hearing the diagnosis she showed no emotion … she did not cry … she maintained her dignity as she went back into the hut.
This may have been a different story if her family had been able to get her help sooner. Much of the challenge in East Africa is making people aware of the services available to them.
We arrived at the family hut. There were two huts – one for the husband/wife and mother and a second smaller hut for the child. The main hut is approximately 12 x 12 and has two rooms. I should also mention that the goats live inside the hut as well. If the goats stay outside they would likely be killed which would be a huge loss. The goat represents food - or money, if they choose to sell it.
We were greeted very warmly and asked to have a seat in their home while they prepared the mother. It took approximately 15 minutes for family members to get her out of her room. While I was waiting, I went outside the hut to view the surroundings. I became friends with the grandson of the patient - Joseph. He is a happy, adventurous and very proud young man – not unlike the children in North America. He is very excited that he will be starting kindergarten next year and that the school is close to his village. He loves his home and is especially proud that he has his own hut to sleep in. He is also proud that his family is rich enough to have a goat (which he often sleeps with). He knows the goat will be killed by his family or whoever they sell it to and he is fine with this.
The ophthalmologist examined Joseph’s grandmother. Unfortunately there was nothing that could be done to help her. She was fully blind in one eye and while the nerves were not completely dead in the second eye, it was just a matter of time. Upon hearing the news (through a translator and not from a family member) she showed no emotion! She just turned around and walked back into her hut.
I know that this type of thing happens every day in North America (and around the world) when doctors have to tell patients there is no hope. I think it just bothered me so much more witnessing her stength in accepting the decison. After hearing the diagnosis she showed no emotion … she did not cry … she maintained her dignity as she went back into the hut.
This may have been a different story if her family had been able to get her help sooner. Much of the challenge in East Africa is making people aware of the services available to them.