Columban lay missionary Ana Flores (front-center) with women and children in the Narulang community. Photo: Ana Flores
When I attended Mass in her community at Narulang, I wondered why her two-year-old daughter was walking with difficulty. After the Mass, she and I had a short conversation 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 check-up, 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 was quite far from the city. The family has five children, and the father works on the farm. His meagre salary is just enough for their daily food and sending their children to school.
I talked immediately with Columban Fr Enrique Escobar, who is the parish priest in that place. He and I decided to help Jenny's family, especially the little girl.
While talking to Jenny about her little girl, I remembered from my previous ministry a similar experience with two children. One of them had a problem like the little girl from Narulang. I encouraged the mother to bring her son to the hospital for treatment. She agreed. However, it was a long journey, 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 normal children. I feel sorry for him, even though I tried my best. I just could not do more.
The other child was a girl whose hip was injured in a motorbike accident. When her parents took her to the hospital, the doctors X-rayed her hip but 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 the mother to bring her daughter 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, hard, and painful process for her. Fortunately, it was also very successful. Now she is 13 years old and walking without any problem. I’m happy for her because now she lives her life like any normal child.
Having this kind of experience with these 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 of money, 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 lasted for almost a year. Jenny’s little girl had surgery after a year. It went well and she recovered fast. Afterwards, the doctors recommended special shoes for her. She wore them 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 part of my ministry. I see Jenny’s daughter running, walking, and playing with other children normally. I'm happy for her and her parents because she continues to live a normal life. If children like Jenny’s daughter grow up without being treated it is certainly very hard for them and their parents.
I believe that every child has the right to a good childhood and the promise of a better life. However, circumstances outside their control sometimes prevent them from having it, especially 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.
Listen to "A little girl from Narulang"
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - September/October 2024
