Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Skip the Movie... Save a Life Instead

$10.00

A book. 3 mornings of coffee. A movie ticket. Lunch. A new hat.

OR

Malaria medication. A child’s life.

So go to the library. Give up 3 mornings of coffee. Skip the movie. Pack your lunch. And just wear your old hat.

And give a child another chance at another day. For $10.00 you can literally save a child’s life by providing malaria treatment.

Read the story behind this project and please consider saving a life today.

I watched a little girl die today. She died from the same disease I was treated for, in the same hospital I received medicine and made a full recovery in. She died because her Grandmother did not have money to have her admitted and treated for the Malaria. She was turned away from a hospital that could have saved her life because her family didn’t have the equivalent of 10USD. I jumped out of the car. I rushed into the hospital, as the Grandmother held the little girl close to her chest, wrapped in a blanket. My friend translated and let the Grandmother know that I would pay for ANY necessary medical costs. We entered into the crowded waiting room, making our way to the front desk. The Grandmother entered into an intake room with the little girl, and I informed the receptionist that I would pay any medical bills necessary to help treat this little girl. As I walked back and forth in between the desk and the room where the little girl lay covered on her Grandmother’s shoulder, I saw her two little brown eyes begin to fade. I assured myself that she would be okay. She was going to be admitted and begin treatment so soon. A few moments later, I hear the words, “The child has died, there is nothing more we can do”. I pleaded with the doctors, “Please there has to be something you can do. Try to help her, please”. I see the Grandmother stand up still holding her Granddaughter’s lifeless body tightly against her chest. The blank look on her face as she looked at me. I had no words. All I could get out was a quiet, “I’m so sorry”.

After today, we are in the process of setting up an account that will be used for the sole purpose of situations like these. We will meet with the staff of the local hospital where this little girl died today. We will explain the brokenness we feel for families and children who find themselves at this place. We will leave them with our cell phone numbers. The second a child comes in who so desperately needs immediate medical intervention, they can begin treatment and call us to come and pay the medical bill for those who do not have the money to do so.

The World Health Organization says that Malaria kills a child in Sub-Saharan Africa every 45 seconds. Today that is no longer a statistic. It is a little girl with a Grandmother who so desperately wanted to get treatment for her but didn’t have the money to do so.

-Kelsey Nielsen

To donate visit www.amazima.org and donate through paypal. Please make sure you designate MALARIA TREATMENT PROGRAM in the purpose section.

THANK YOU!!!!

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