Success Story from Dr. Mikey

“Despite his wasted appearance when he came to Jesus Loves Me, Dolo turned 17 months at the
start of April. His tiny arms protruded from a body bloated from an extraordinarily difficult
toddlerhood while his legs were covered in sores, and far too spindly to carry his weight. His
mother came through the doors more in hope than expectation as Dolo spluttered and coughed
his way through the little weighing room. He couldn’t keep even a little fluid and plumpynut
down as his mother tried desperately to encourage him to eat. In fact nothing had stayed in his
stomach all week, and his tiny body was suffering the devastating consequences.

Thankfully the triage staff were alert to the issue and caught on quickly to how sick he was.
Recognising the gasps for breath from a sunken face, one of the Jesus Loves Me nurse aides
known affectionately as ambulance, came running down the corridor carrying him straight to
the inpatient ward. Moving as one, the team organized oxygen and managed to get intravenous
access, no easy task with a child as dehydrated as Dolo. The hard work began here, trying to
balance the need to rehydrate Dolo with the severity of malnutrition evident.

The team worked together quickly, the doctors figuring out the exact amount of fluid needed to
slowly bring Dolo back to life, while the nurses comforted the mother, gently pointing out the
other children on the ward who had been in a similar state just a few days ago. His chest
sounded full of crackles, the kind found usually in the poverty-stricken environment of Bong
County where tuberculosis is rife. With so many problems all going on at once, the situation
looked very bleak, and his mother had clearly come prepared for the worst, wearing a resigned
expression on a tear-streaked face.

Yet somehow Dolo made it to sunset. And then through the night. As the fluids, oxygen and
antibiotics began to do their work, he saw another day. And then survived yet another, just
plodding forwards slowly, diarrhea and vomiting subsiding little by little, day by day. The week
after he was awake and was able to get through with only a little oxygen. And remarkably he
was able to swallow the medicine he so desperately needed to treat the tuberculosis ravaging
his exhausted body.

As this began to work, we saw a story so familiar to Jesus Loves Me that it is easy to forget how
remarkable it is. His tiny body began to gain weight steadily, arms and legs which once moved
aimlessly began to strengthen and reach out for toys, while his once sunken eyes glinted in the
ever present lights of Jesus Loves Me. From there onwards it was all about encouraging him to
take more of the precious F100 milk, and to slowly start on the plumpynut. Today he sits happy
and ready to go home, with his mother scarcely to believe what God has done for their family!”

-Dr Michael Bryant | Jesus Loves Me Children’s Center Chief Medical Officer