fragile

absolutely gorgeous mom and baby, taken at the barthimee clinic in senegal, west africa. although impossible to tell from this photograph, this was one of the sickest children i cared for during my time in africa.

 

nine months old, this baby weighed only 4 kg (a bit over 8 pounds), suffering from typhoid, malaria, and chronic and severe malnutrition. small though they are, my hands were able to completely encircle his upper chest, finger tips overlapping on his back, my thumbs touching over his heart. he belonged in an intensive care unit, but besides none being available, his mother could not afford even overnight observation for him at an outlying hospital. we gave him all the medications we had and sent him home with his mother with further medications and instructions.

 

by absolutely nothing other than the grace of god, she returned with him to the clinic several days later, and he was much, much improved. hope is a fragile thing, but what an example of why we should have it. his mom was so kind to allow me to take this picture, and was very pleased to see it.

 

the grain and blur is unfortunate, but the power was out at the clinic at the time, and this was all i could squeeze out of my camera.

 

December 2006.

 

Done