“I believe most people are good..”

It’s already been two weeks back in my other home, which seems impossible! My friends at Blessings had been reporting accurately about how busy they’d been in the weeks I was gone. We literally hit the ground running on my first Monday back and we’ve barely stopped since! Dr. Chimkonda asked me at the end of the first day how the first day back was and I said “fun!” and it’s true, it was so fun to jump right back in at full-speed. And being reuinted with this team and jumping back in with them, has by far been my favorite part of being back!

Saturday evenings in the theatre 🙂

So many great things have happened while I was away. Many many new babies started their lives within our walls, the building itself has been in the midst of a major renovation and is progressing beautifully, the team transformed our guardian shelter to accommodate an increasing number of cholera patients amidst a nationwide outbreak, all of this while continuing to maintain our high standard of care in all other areas during the beginning of our busiest time of year. I had joked with some of my colleagues before I left not to let anything exciting happen while I was away because I would have FOMO…it seems they did not agree to that request!

Currently, the biggest stress on our system and the hospital systems of Malawi is without question the cholera outbreak the country is facing. There are many articles out there you can read to hear about how bad things are, but I’d like to highlight the beauty in the storm. Every time there is a tragedy or crisis anywhere, someone in the social media world will share a quote or story about ‘look for those running to the problem.’ Every time you see a photo or a video of a tragedy or crisis you see so many running away in fear – as is human nature – but always there is a beautiful story to be heard and seen when you look for and watch those who run toward the situation to find a way to help. I also feel like every time I have been witness to a crisis or tragedy of any kind, the beauty of humanity gets put on display. That point was highlighted a lot as our country watched, rallied, and prayed for a young NFL player whose life hung in the balance after a bizarre hit. In the midst of tragedy and crisis, most of our superficial disagreements and opinions fade into the background.

So back to cholera…in addition to IV fluids, one of the most life saving elements of cholera treatment is a drink mix called ORS (oral rehydration solution). During treatment the patient and their guardian are provided with small packages or sachets of ORS to mix with 1 liter of clean water and are given a goal of how much to drink within a set period of time. Often adult patients are given 4 of these sachets to drink within a set period of time. This little powder is so vital because it contains a specially formulated amount of essential electrolytes and glucose to help rehydrate you without diluting these important components, and to help replace all of the essential things lost when you have large volume losses through diarrhea and vomiting…the hallmark of a cholera infection.

Now that you’ve attended a brief in-service on how ORS can save your life 🙂 There’s a sweet story that goes along with it.

Often when patients are brought to the hospital for cholera admission they have come in a hurry because their patient is sick and the family hasn’t yet gathered the usual supplies for a hospital admission. So finding bottles to hold the ORS can be a problem. Well, while I was having a lunch meeting with a colleague the waiter came to collect our water bottles. I asked if we could keep them and my colleague explained we wanted to use them for ORS for our patients. A few minutes later, he came back with a shopping bag full of empty bottles. Such a simple thing, but it warmed my heart to be reminded of the goodness that is at the core of us all, even on our very worst days. It got Luke Bryan’s “Most People are Good” stuck in my head for a long time!

Our team is stretched thin, they’re getting tired, and they’re exposed to the illness each and every day. But the care I watch us provide in our isolation center continues to warm my heart and remind me of the goodness in us all. Our staff is attentive, they are kind, and they are showing up to take care of the people in our community. They’re living out the greatest call of healthcare workers and are literally a light on a hill here in Lumbadzi. I am grateful and so proud of the work they are doing.

There are a lot of hard, painful, and tragic elements to focus on in the midst of such a difficult time for so many; and there is undoubtedly so much pain and grief overwhelming the many who have lost loved ones during these last months. It can be easy to become overwhelmed by the darkness. I’m trying instead to set my gaze on those nurses, clinicians, doctors, HSAs, public health officers, attendants, and security guards who are moving toward the darkness to bring light. I’m trying instead to notice the revealing of the goodness in humanity as so many are touched by the suffering of others.

Please consider praying for the country of Malawi, for its healthcare workers, and for its leaders as they all try to join hands to overcome the enemy and win the battle at hand.

Much love,

Ash