Processing the Tragedy

Over the past 5 days we've had difficulty with our internet connections, and I have not been able to process some pretty heavy things which have been happening here. I've been begging computers from my housemates so I could process a little bit via blog. So welcome to my mental madness :)

4 days ago I was caring for a routine injury in the clinic when I received word that a kid was at the gate with injuries, "bleeding everywhere." So, nurse I am, I got all excited to see something different! I accompanied a few other missionaries to the gate where we found a 10 year old boy from the village who was bleeding and crying, obviously very upset. My "excitement" for the event quickly died out. A beaten kid was not my idea of a thrilling, new experience.

This is the story as I was told by the young boy. His mother lives in Kampala. She came that day on a motorcycle, arrived at the home (the boy lives with his grandmother), grabbed a big stick and without a word, started beating this boy. He goes to school at GSF, and when his mother grabbed a panga (a machete), he ran to us. Our guard at the gate was the first to see him, and he told me later that he had blood dripping from his nose and mouth and was sobbing. His mom beat him and threatened him with a huge knife. His MOM.

I started with his head which was bleeding and moved down to make sure there was no injury to his spine. As I moved my hand down his back he cried out in pain. When I lifted his shirt to see his back, I found 8-EIGHT-beat marks all over his back. So, I had to assess the rest of his injuries. He had large marks from the beating with the stick on his head, across his left eye, on his right calf, both upper arms, left forearm, plus the 8 marks on his back.

He is the first kid I've cried over.

My housemate Kaylee and I walked him to the clinic to give him care. As we walked, we said to him "you are safe here." And he said back to us, "I know you will take care of me."

Following we had a long investigation-police report, warrant for the mother's arrest (who had already escaped and gone back to Kampala) and physical check up from a government doctor. A long process, filled with complications. The boy is still staying with his grandmother, and is improving with each day. Yesterday he came to my house just to say hi and the favorite, play games on my phone. I didn't know it the first day I met him, but he has a BEAUTIFUL smile :)

As if that isn't enough to process, yesterday we had another crisis. In the afternoon I heard a commotion outside our house. When I went out to investigate, a grown man was restraining one of the kids from GSF who is known as a trouble maker. The kid was screaming and thrashing around. Two other men came to restrain him because he was biting and kicking everyone within reach. Three grown, strong men had to hold this kid to keep him from hurting someone. We all watched this unfold for 15 minutes or so, standing by to assist as they needed it. Finally, they asked for a sedative. So Mere and I got an intra-muscular injection ready and I gave it to this kid. This hurting, 10 year old. He screamed and struggled for a while longer, and finally settled in 2 minutes.

There have been things that I've done in my very short medical career that I have not liked, but this was terrible. To hear this kid who I've grown to love, I've played soccer with, laughed and cared for-to hear him scream and writhe. It was terrible. I got my job done, but it shook me. I had to go for a run afterwards, just to release.

Things never slow down here! Even now I've got three girls around me-one asking for meds, another for a bandage, and another just wanting to chat. I've been trying to write this blog all day! So I better go-things are never go to slow down ;)