It was a cool, rainy July morning as we bumped along the dirt road on our way to the homestead. We had heard of a child near one of our care points that has some special needs, so we decided to go and visit him. When we arrived at Basanda’s homestead, we found him lying in the corner on the cold concrete floor with nothing but a blanket. We were told that he is four years old, and has shown the same symptoms since birth. (He cannot walk, talk, or communicate very well, and it was obvious that something was not right) To us, it seemed like cerebral palsy.
Over the next few weeks, I thought about him a lot. Then last week, my dad and a Swazi nurse that works with AIM went for a follow up visit. They discovered that his “caretaker” leaves him locked inside all day on the floor with no one taking care of him. There were flies all over him, and the room and blanket smelled of urine. It was obvious he had been there for days without any care. No one kept him clean and of course, he could not swat the flies off. His legs were about the width of a spindle, and he did not look well. He was having difficulty breathing and was very dehydrated. He had to be removed from this situation quickly, or he very well could have died.
The nurse decided to talk to the grandfather to see if he would willingly give the child up to a better home. After a very aggressive conversation with the grandfather, he agreed to let the grandmother (who lives at another homestead) take the child. We were thankful we did not have to get Social Welfare involved. Some of you may have heard about our medical fund that we have raised through Swazi Rocks. We make cards, rocks, and necklaces to sell to teams that are in Swaziland, and then use the profits for medical needs at the care points. We have been praying for God to show us the right situations to use our funds, and we felt that He was pointing us to Basanda. So last Friday morning, we were able to buy some warm clothes (it’s winter here in case you were wondering), food, diapers, and baby supplies for his new caretaker to use.
It was amazing to see how God worked out our schedules so that we were able to go and pick him up. A food container was supposed to arrive that day, and we would have had to go help unload it, but it did not come…God’s timing is always perfect. We then took him to the local hospital, where the doctors confirmed he does have cerebral palsy, and that he has a severe infection because of the neglect. The doctors said to keep the infection clean and dry while using the antibiotic prescribed, and the infection should subside. Please pray that it does.
We saw him at the care point today and he is like a different child. He is getting cared for and loved on now. His infection is getting much better. This whole situation has been a great example of how God answers our prayers, and will divinely intervene to make sure that things work out according to His will. This boy had been “thrown away” by his grandfather, but God has a plan for this boy. I cannot wait to see how God is going to use him. Please pray for God to open a door so this boy can get the therapy and treatment he needs and also pray for a way for his grandmother to get the needed training to know how to care for him. For updates, please check out our Swazi Rocks Facebook page at facebook.com/swazirocks, or our website at swazirocks.wordpress.com.
Thanks for your support!
Lane Mullins
