We have been able to pay our clinic staff once again, and the clinic's income is up to about half what we need to pay the salaries just from the medical care we provide. We thank you for providing the rest! However, we wish to increase salaries as soon as we can, since our staff generally have a take-home pay of only $110/month. This is the national average, but we couldn't live on this ourselves and realize it is very difficult for our staff to live on this salary. Prices here are in many areas higher than in the U.S.--only bread is still subsidized. So Romanians live on bread and potatoes often times.
We have had some really tough medical situations to face in the last 5 weeks. The first was on a Tuesday, when the dad of a 16 year old boy, Nick, called. They are missionaries and had just returned from the U.S. the night before after a 4 month home assignment of traveling and speaking at churches and support-raising. In the airport on the way to Romania they noticed that Nick seemed to have some trouble walking and after they arrived in Romania he was having more difficulty. Milt saw them that morning and went with them for an emergency MRI which showed a large tumor pressing on his spine. I drove over with a wheelchair and they stayed in an apartment downstairs from us overnight and they were on a plane to California the next morning. Mom and the other kids, who were at their home a couple hours out of town, got a plane out the following Sunday. Nick is now receiving care for the cancer at Loma Linda Medical Center. He was totally paralyzed by the time surgery was done, but now can walk with a walker again. Please pray for healing for Nick.
Then, on my birthday, we got a frantic call from another missionary. They were in Bucharest for a birthday party of a girl they had evangelized. Their 2 1/2 year old adopted twins decided they wanted to go to the bathroom. When mom was helping one, the other suddenly grabbed a Coke bottle and took a drink--but it was hospital cleaning solution that was in the bottle. They rushed the child to the nearest hospital and on the way the child had a seizure and stopped breathing temporarily in the car. Mom did mouth-to-mouth respiration. In the ER they gave her oxygen, put a breathing tube in and rushed mom and child in an ambulance to one of the two best pediatric hospitals in town. We met them there. The Intensive Care Unit of the hospital is very well stocked with equipment donated by the Japanese, but the ICU doctor wasn't even interested in the chemicals in the solution the child had drunk. Also, the ICU has a "no visitor" policy, so parents of the sickest children can't even see their children (without bribes, probably). We were allowed in the see the child because we were doctors, but we even had to wait more than 30 minutes, and then we had to insist that we see her. The parents spent much of the night on a park bench outside the hospital because they weren't allowed to even stay in the hall. We spoke to their medivac company and that company found a hospital in Paris with much experience with this sort of injury, which turned out to be a caustic burn to the esophagus. The family is still in Paris where the child is still hospitalized and receiving treatment. When she is discharged from this hospital they will have to return to the U.S. for more treatment. Please pray for Ana Maria, that the treatments will prevent extensive scarring in her esophagus so that she can avoid surgery later for this.
Also, in the clinic I saw a 34 year old Romanian mother of two children who started having sweats and chills back in December. She had been to many hospitals--first the University Hospital where they thought she had a gall bladder infection, which tests didn't find, but she did have a spot on her chest x-ray so they sent her to the Lung and TB hospital. There the CT of her chest suggested lymphoma, and they wanted to do a needle biopsy, but she was afraid and didn't have it done. Nobody told her she probably had cancer. From there she went to the Hematology hospital because of her anemia and a bone marrow biopsy didn't show the cause. Then a cancer specialist told her she didn't have cancer. So for the last 3 months she's been sick at home. A friend brought her to our clinic. I explained after reviewing everything and examining her that if she didn't go back to a hospital for a biopsy, she would die, because she probably has cancer. She was shocked! A few days later she went to the Military Hospital, which has a better reputation than most. Gabi's husband, Ambrose, who is a resident in cardiology there, found a bed for her and showed an interest in her case, so the doctors are taking good care of her. Gabi and I visited her there on Friday--she was so surprised to see us. We talked with her and prayed for her--she says she's Orthodox but isn't interested in God or in what Jesus has done to save us. Please pray for Florentina, for correct diagnosis and treatment and that she will begin to understand the importance of what Christ has done for her and will give her life to Him.
Milt also received a call from Ionut's father, with the report that he had died suddenly of his leukemia. We feel bad, but know that Ionut is with Jesus. Years ago, a patient of Milt's told him about her 11 year old nephew who died of leukemia. His last words to his father who was holding him were, "You can let go now, dad. I see the angels coming for me."
We have seen a lot of other poor patients. So many of them could be a lot healthier if they had enough money to buy nutritious foods and if they didn't need to worry about their utility bills. Many owe millions of lei for last winter's heat, for electricity, etc. That is only several hundred dollars, but to them it may mean losing their apartment to pay their bills. We would like to be able to help some of them, especially those elderly who are living on fixed pensions of $30-50/month. With that, they have to choose whether to eat or to pay their utility bills! For the younger ones, it is very difficult in this economy to find a job, but with persistence it is usually possible--often on the black market. But for those over 50, no one will hire them. Life here is tough for honest people.
On a happier note, we were blessed with a visit from our retired pastor from Vision of Glory Lutheran Church, Lee Evenson and his wife Barb, as well as Pastor Harley Schmitt and his wife Beverly! They were a real blessing to us--with their preaching 2 wonderful sermons, with Barb leading worship both Sundays, with their fellowship, their work on buying and planting some trees and flowers around the parking lot of the clinic, their work inside the clinic with painting, etc. Plus we took 3 days and went up to Sinaia and Brasov and Bran--we stayed for the 2 nights in a hotel right on the Peles Castle grounds (the Economat). The countryside was beautiful, the weather was really pleasant in the mountains, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!
We really want to thank all of you who pray for us and support us and the clinic project financially! We really appreciate your being part of our team!