Do you ever wonder what happens to all those clothes donated to Goodwill and the Salvation Army? Wonder no more- some of them obviously make it to foreign shores. Often, we see our patients and others out in the community wearing clothes that seem out of place. Friday one of our patients had on a Myrtle Beach t-shirt. I am not sure he even knows where Myrtle Beach is; let alone has been there. We have a picture that Larry Holmes took out in the tribe of a man wearing an Atlanta Braves t-shirt. I can honestly say this guy was probably not pulling for the Braves to win the World Series. I actually enjoy seeing little bits of home here and there on Filipinos and it usually makes me smile. Such was the case on Friday. After seeing the Myrtle Beach shirt, I took the vital signs and did a urinalysis for Casimira. It was a few minutes before I realized there was a UGA Bulldog on his faded red baseball cap. It immediately made me think about our friends Steven and Kathryn--well really Steven who loves UGA so much that his whole wardrobe is black and red. I was wishing he could see it. I was so thankful the Nelsen's camera was at the clinic and I could snap a couple of pictures to send him.
As is often the case, what began as a fun or happy moment at the clinic, did not end that way. You see Casimira is sick and can't afford the treatment he needs at a local hospital. Being the sole supporter for a wife and 7 kids, he doesn't feel he can even afford the blood tests that would enable us to treat him for a related health problem- tests that run about $5. Can you imagine not being able to afford a $5 blood test? People respond to the bad news we sometimes have to share in different ways. Some act like what they have been told was nothing more than having a cold, while others break down. It always breaks my heart when they cry. This was the case for Casimira. Caught in a situation that looks like a dead end, he sobbed. It is at times like this that I understand why Allan and Scott don't try to see 45 patients each during clinic. The clinic is about more than passing out medicine and bandaging wounds, it is about ministering to the emotional and spiritual needs of the soul. Casimira puts a face on our ministry here. Please pray for him as he struggles with tough decisions in the coming weeks. Also pray for us that we would remember that our clinic is about more than medicine.
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