Windy

Windy is a patient on Hope ward. He is a fourteen year old boy. He was suppose to go home last week but some post surgical complications have extended his stay. His inability to sleep at night coupled with a low hemoglobin secondary to bleeding that we cannot surgically fixed because we don’t posses the tool to do so has left him looking extremely pale and tired. When I saw him this morning my heart broke for him.

A little boy, Bill, has bilateral cataract surgery today. He is seven, but looks about four. Within 30 seconds of meeting him it was obvious that he has some sort of developmental delay. Developmentally delayed kids are pretty much my favorite kids to care for. They are carefree, joyful, and take the utmost delight in very simple pleasures.

I chased Bill around the ward and tried to get him to play hide and seek with me. He ran around completely carefree and would sometimes explode with belly laughter at simple gestures of humor.
I wound him up to the point that he just started aimlessly running around the ward with his arms extended and voice laughing. To calm him down I lured him on my lap with a proper reading of the Dr. Seuss classic, “Fox in Sox.”

Mid-day I had to step out of the ward for a moment and found Bill was MIA (missing in action). I asked his mama where he had gone.

“Windy carried him to get a bath,” his mama replied.

“Carried” is the Liberian term for “I took”. Windy, who was in the bed next to Bill, took him to get a bath. Windy who looked so tired. Windy who was here by himself. Windy who was getting no sleep. Windy who had every reason to be cranky and selfish had carried little crazy Bill to help him get washed up.

Windy is a sweet boy. He generous nature and content smile is humbling to be around. He’s really breaking my heart.