Before my planned trip to the hospital, woke up with the urge to go jogging. First, I had a wonderful and necessary chat with my friend Kate via facebook. Then, I went out on the streets of Nyali for a jog. By the time I was finished I felt faint because of the heat. Regardless of the exhaustion, I loved every second!
Michelle and Simone came to pick me up after the jog. We headed out to visit a children’s hospital. Michelle and Simone play an extremely important role in helping many of the children at this hospital. I was so happy to go there with them.
The first room we went to had a few cancer patients. The children and parents welcomed us warmly with smiles and handshakes. As we started mingle with the children, I saw one child that made a balloon with a plastic glove. He popped one of the finger holes and tied it up to keep the air in. While standing in the room we all started to play with the balloon by hitting it in the air to each other. I was amazed at how much cheerfulness the children showed by something so simple. Their faces light up as they smiled and laughed the entire time. They could do that for hours and be in high spirits because most of their time is spent sitting in the hospital room feeling sick. When visitors come it’s something very special to them and their moms.
One of the boys I met was just admitted a week ago. His body is terribly skinny. I could wrap my pointer finger and my thumb around the top part of his arm with my fingers easily touching. When I went to give him a hug, I felt his rib cage. He is literally skin and bones. He has a lump sticking out from his throat that is about half the size of a tennis ball. This boy suffers from leukemia. I wonder how long he will survive… Children should not have to suffer in such a way. I hope they can save him; however, many of these children’s lives do not have a happy ending.
