Jimmy Andraus
“Without this hospital, my baby would have died”
When an unidentified illness slowly consumed four year-old Jimmy Andraus’ body, his family was certain he wouldn’t live to see another birthday.
Thanks to your partnership and a providentially placed hospital in the remote Nuba Mountains, that didn’t become Jimmy’s fate.
In March, Jimmy’s mother noticed he’d come down with a fever – not necessarily a serious occurrence in young boys. But something to keep an eye on.
When his fever didn’t disappear, his mother took him to the local clinic, where she received medicine to reduce his fever. At first this seemed to work for Jimmy. But within a few days the fever returned with a vengeance and the medicine no longer had any effect on him. He grew extremely sick.
Once more Jimmy’s mother took him to the local clinic. Upon seeing how ill the young boy had become, the clinic told Jimmy’s mother to get him to Mother of Mercy Hospital as soon as possible.
It isn’t quick or easy to get around in the Nuba Mountains. There are no paved roads, and the path can be completely blocked in the rainy season, or treacherous to traverse in times of conflict. It often takes days to walk to the hospital. But Jimmy’s condition was growing severe, and this was the only hope for her son.
When they made it to Mother of Mercy Hospital in Gidel, where missionary Dr. Tom Catena has served for more than 15 years, little Jimmy’s condition was dire. By this point he was unconscious and completely unresponsive. He couldn’t eat, and could only be fed through a tube. His mother was filled with panic and dread that she would lose her little boy.
The team at Mother of Mercy quickly jumped into action and diagnosed Jimmy with severe tetanus. The toxin from tetanus creates a poison in the body that restricts nerve signals from the spinal cord, causes swelling in the throat that interferes with breathing, and may lead to pulmonary embolism. Even with treatment, 10 to 20 percent of severe tetanus cases end in death, especially in the vulnerable.
The hospital immediately began filling Jimmy’s body with powerful medications to fight the tetanus toxin and its devastating effects. There were moments when even the hospital staff wasn’t sure he would make it. It took several grueling weeks of treatment before any encouraging signs appeared. But one day Jimmy began to respond and turn a corner. After a long road spending over a month and a half at the hospital, this four year-old boy was finally well and ready to go home.
Jimmy’s mother says he now runs and plays with his twin brother like any other four year-old. He has recovered completely from his life threatening ordeal. She wanted to tell Jimmy’s doctors and the donors, “I am so grateful to Dr. Tom and his team for the excellent work of saving my child’s life. Without this hospital, my baby would have died. Thank you and may God bless you!”
These stories of lives saved are possible because of the generosity of our donor community, which fully funds all of the medicines used at Mother of Mercy Hospital. Sudan Relief Fund thanks you for your compassion on patients like Jimmy, and for your partnership that saves the lives of many people who wouldn’t have this medical care available without you.
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