It is hard to believe that my 11 days in Koutiala have come to an end. I feel blessed to have been able to work alongside such resilient people and definitely feel that I received more than I gave. The sickle cell screening project is off to a good start and should be able to move forward for all new births at the hospital. I now have a better understanding of the obstacles for treating sickle cell and cancer in this harsh environment.
Today Brett and I made the 5 hour drive from Koutiala to Bamako. There were a lot of potholes along the way from all of the rains, but we made it safely to Bamako without any issues.
Kadia, the young girl being treated for leukemia, lives right off the main road on the way to Bamako so we stopped in for a quick visit. She was outside having her millet porridge for breakfast.
Amos, her brother, spotted Brett's car right away and came running. You can see him up by the bumper with a shirt and no pants (or diaper).
Amos loves the car....
....and wanted to go for a drive. He was not happy when we had to leave:(
All of the village kids watching us leave.
It is hard to believe how much money was spent on this mosque when people are starving all over Mali. The courtyard of this structure is made of marble and the domes are made of thousands of small tiles.
This is the hospital in Bamako which is situated on a hill overlooking the city. We had an appointment with the head of the sickle cell center which is in the lower left hand corner of the picture.
View of Bamako and the Niger river.
The meeting with the director of the sickle center was very productive. They are likely going to let us send confirmatory testing on all the newborns that we pick up with sickle cell disease or trait. I am hopeful that they will do this testing for free. In turn, we will keep track of all of the data from the Koutiala Hospital screening program and send periodic updates to the sickle cell center.
Tomorrow we will go on rounds with the pediatric oncologist here in Bamako and get his take on cancer treatment in Mali. My journey back home will start tomorrow night and I will arrive in Atlanta on Friday evening.
Thank you to everyone for following along with my trip! Your prayers were definitely felt over the last 11 days. My goal was not only to showcase the great needs at Koutiala Hospital, but also to highlight the amazing ways that God is working in this place. If you are interested in continuing to follow along with the journey of cancer treatment at the hospital, you can check out Sheri's blog:
This blog showcases each child that has been treated for cancer at Koutiala Hospital to date.
Praying for you and all the wonderful physicians, nurses and families you have met. Safe journey home!!
ReplyDeleteHi Alan,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great experience your time in Mali has been! You have given so much and received even more in return! You will have time on the plane
ride home to reflect again on everything you did! We are praying for you
a smooth, safe flight! All your family and friends are excited for your
return home!
Love, John and Lynn
What a wonderful experience and complete story you have given us., We have felt like we were there with you, even seemed like we got to know and understand the "others" - patients, hospital workers, etc. I know that you have meant a lot to everyone there - we are very proud of you.
ReplyDeleteSeems like you met your goals and can feel good about what you have accomplished !!
See you Friday evening.
Much love and prayers for a safe trip home.
Mom and Dad
Alan, your experience is one you will never forget. You have stepped out of the comfort zone so many wish they could do, but for many reasons, don't. So much has been accomplished during your time there; I am willing to bet that this will be only the first of many visits back to Malia for you! Everyone is awaiting your return, especially Allison, the girls, and Abe! ( by the way, he was giving me high fives today; I thought perhaps you had taught him, but Allison said it was the first time she had seen him do it!) Praying for a safe journey back home!
ReplyDeleteBebe
Alan,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful job you and the families there have done for the patients and their families in Mali. I am so glad your experience was so rich, and I know your family is very proud of the work you have done there.
We are praying for your safe journey home and thanking God for your experiences and witness opportunities that you have been provided there.
Sincerely,
Jamie