Europe is a cop-out

Volunteering has begun to pick-up and I've made some breakthoughs with the nurses who work here. One stood next to me while I fed Jerimiah through his feeding tube and she asked me about my studies and where I lived. In turn, I found out that she's from Joberg and has been a nurse since 1997. She misses the city and hopes to go back there one day.

As for Jerimiah, she's not sure how he got his trancheobronchial fistula. It could have been a birth defect or as a result of interventions during his course of TB. The child is over a year old, and he probably doesn't weigh more than 12 lbs. He's tiny. And he throws a fit when he's put back in his crib. These children miss so much important contact with their mothers in these early years because they are so sick. As one of the nurses put it to me, "they all want to be held but we are simply too busy."

I was dissapointed to find that Pelo, a 4 month old in the ward, hadn't been changed all day and the irritated skin began to bleed when I took off his diaper. These children don't cry when they have dirty diapers or when they are hungry or when they feel sick. With the exception of a few, they are silent in their cribs-- used to being shouted at by the nurses when they make a peep.

While it's not the happiest work, I look forward to going to the hospital every day. Today Reagan, Keeley and I even had a nice moment in the little courtyard with Pelo, Baby and Jeremiah. We took the babies out and let them get a few rays of the fast setting African sun before taking them inside to get them ready for bed. I can't imagine what it would be like to be seperated from my child for a minimum of 9 month course of treatment here at the Brooklyn Chest. It seems too easy for too many of their mothers.

On another note, a rat infestation has everyone's hackles up in Roxburg this evening. We have some type of emergency meeting with our program director and they're talking about moving us to other houses at the request of a few people living here. I haven't seen any of these rats in person and I'm not too keen on packing my life up to move it somewhere new. Hopefully the situation is resolved without resorting to that-- I think we could get some serious compensation if we just suck it up.

Gearing up for a big weekend of Stellenbosch wine tastings and Mzoli's Sunday Jol. I'll be sure to send another update soon.

Love from the Rats in Roxy,

A