Nothing but God!

There are times when the evidence of God's hand at work is especially obvious such that even the most cynical and doubting can't miss it!  There were two recent cases on the pediatric ward that  were like that.

She did smile on the day she left the ward, just not for the camera!
 

First, a sweet little 3 year old girl, a Pastor's Kid (PK), who had been hit by a car.  She was in bad shape upon her arrival and many of us thought she would surely not survive.  Numerous bumps and bruises but most importantly a large, through and through skull fracture,  She was unconscious on arrival and remained so for several days.  Her sweet little face became more and more swollen each of the first few days in hospital.  As we watched, supporting her in the ways we could, her papa kept praying.  He had truly given the outcome over to God and then waited with us.  She slowly began to stir a bit more. We were encouraged that she could move all 4 extremities.  Her eyes began to open a little.  She cried and moaned when moved in her bed likely due to pain.  And then the swelling started to go down. She began to move with intention!  She asked for her papa and mama!  She began letting us know she was hungry! Eventually, she was able to sit and then stand and then walk!  She went home whole!  Praise God for his goodness and mercy and love for this little one and her family!  May she not be allowed to forget God's work in her life, for the miracle He performed!



Guan's chest and belly burns.

I was on call another night.  I was in the delivery room doing an ultrasound on an expectant mama in early labor.  I heard the wailing from the ER.  When I arrived there were 4 patients all having been victims of a lightening strike.  There were 3 boys all about 7 or 8 years of age.  One had died on the way to us.  The second, Guan was unconscious. His little arms and legs were stiffening in a posture that suggests brain injury. That was followed by a seizure.  His pupils were fixed and not reacting to light.   There was a superficial burn on his chest.  There's not a whole lot we could do for him.  We gave lots of IV fluids, monitored his urine output for proof of good kidney function and to know if we are providing enough fluids, and waited.  There was no way to undo any damage that had been done to his internal organs.  We followed some blood work as an indicator of how things were and looked for trends of improvement.  I was convinced he would not survive.  He remained unconscious for several days.  Then, once again, God worked, and he began to open his eyes!  He began to recognize his mama who often times laid at his side on the bed.  Then he voiced his desire to eat and began sitting up!  He went home seemingly completely healed!  God in his infinite wisdom created our bodies incredibly!!  And when the natural healing abilities he instilled in each of us is not quite enough He reaches down and intervenes!

Guan and his mom ready for discharge!
 

The other little boy who was in the ER appeared to not have suffered so much physical injury as an emotional one.  The whole experience was deafeningly loud and would be extremely scary for anyone and especially to this little guy.  He was friends with Guan and the little boy who died. They all went to school together.  His sadness was laid out in the open for me to witness. It was heartbreaking.  I kept him in the hospital overnight.  We prayed together in the morning before he was sent home.  He won't soon forget what happened on this day and I am sure he will shudder in fear with each thunder and lightening storm that hits the Highlands of PNG for quite some time. Pray for him when the Lord brings him to mind.
The final of the original 4 patients brought to the ER was an adult female.  She had been with the last little guy at a market when the lighting struck.  She experienced severe pain in her ears when it burst through the sky. She complained of pain in her chest and upper abdomen.  I found no outward evidence of injury but admitted her to the ward for observation and monitoring.  I don't know the full story of her in-patient course but expect she recovered ok.