Tabitha's case has been archived

Mobile clinics are often hectic and chaotic to say the least; it is very rare that a child stands out amongst the rest, yet somehow Tabitha jumped out at me from the minute she entered the clinic hall. Maybe it was her determination to not be forgotten about or overlooked that drew me to her, because she was frail looking but was definitely intent on making sure she saw a doctor and made her case heard. After I heard her story, it all clicked. Being that she has been an orphan since the age of five, the determination to look out for herself made sense. Her parents passed away early on, so from childhood, if she ever wanted anything done, she had to be the one to make it happen.

As I sat in on her appointment, the first thing I noticed was that she was a stammerer. My heart broke for her as I thought about the difficulties she has had to overcome in her life. Thankfully she had some help along the way from her grandfather who got her enrolled in school and made sure she got an education. Unfortunately, more health problems arose when Tabitha's leg began to swell, and the result was her not finishing school. “It would swell and I would be in so much pain I was unable to walk. After awhile, the swelling would burst and begin to drain puss. The pain and the draining became so bad that I eventually dropped out of school.” When her grandfather passed, she was left alone once again to take care of herself, this time sick and in a lot of pain.

When she came to us, she was under the care of a social worker. We have diagnosed her with Chronic Osteomyelitis. This condition occurs when there is an infection in the bone or bone marrow. In James 1:27 we see it is pleasing to the Father to look after orphans and widows. I pray that as we join hands with Tabitha, we are not only able to bring healing to her life, but also share with her the love of God, for He is a Father to the fatherless. We look forward to having her here at CURE at the end of June and we hope that she will be able to walk again pain free.