A young man comes to our wellness clinic with a serious foot injury. He has already been to the local hospital where the doctor recommended that his foot be amputated. Gangrene has set in. The man grieves over this thought. If he loses his foot, he loses his job. He begs Mary, our doctor, for some sort of intervention, some sort of miracle. Mary also recommends that he have his foot amputated before the gangrene spreads up his leg. But he is not ready or willing to surrender to this option.
Under protest, Mary designs a treatment plan filled with an exorbitant amount of antibiotics. She gives him a two week window of treatment and tells him if he is not better, he must have his foot amputated. She tells him she will pray for a miracle. He thanks her profusely. Then he limps out of the clinic with his arsenal of antibodies and a glimmer of hope. Mary, however, spends the rest of her day and week swallowed up in sadness and hopelessness for this man.
(This story is part of a series of stories about my time in Haiti at a Wellness Program. The complete story can be found in bridgetkellyinhaiti.blogspot.com)
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