WEDNESDAY-Urgent Care VisitWednesday morning around 9am I get a call from the orphanage saying that Coby, an 8 year old boy, has been having seizures all night and throwing up. Unfortunately the orphanage does not have the available funding so whenever one of the kids is sick, we are the ones to take them to the doctor. Coby normally has seizures and takes a medication to regulate them, but the throwing up was caused by an infection and fever.
So I take Coby to the local doctor office around the corner and the doctor tells us to go to the "Cruz Verde" (Green Cross) right away. So we arrive at the "Cruz Verde" which is like an inexpensive Urgent Care for people who have limited resources. I arrive carrying in Coby in one arm as my friend Liz helps me carry all of his documents/paperwork/medicine. The place is full of people waiting. After talking with the social worker we are able to get Coby checked out by a doctor before being admitted.
We end up talking to the doctor for a bit about Coby's case and how he has epileptic seizures pretty regularly and we discussed the possible causes. Coby comes from a family of 10 or more children. Mom is a prostitute. He grew up on the streets using drugs (inhalants) and was exposed to many things at such a young age that nobody should ever be exposed to. After talking with her for a bit I take Coby into the ER area where I am told to undress him and lay him in the child sized bed. The room is full of about 10 other patients. The doctors take his temperature and check his vitals and hook him up to an IV. Since Coby had a fever and was dehydrated it was almost impossible to set up an IV because his veins were not visible. But after about 30 minutes of poking and prodding the 3 nurses are able to find a vein and hook him up.
About 5 minutes later Coby pulls out the IV and blood splashes everywhere. The nurses come running over and stop the bleeding and start the search for another entry vein. About an hour later it takes 5 different nurses and doctors to find a vein. Coby fighting it the whole time. Crying. Not saying a word. Just sobbing in fear and in pain.
We spend a total of 6 hours at the Cruz Verde. The whole time I couldn't help but thinking about how much these kids need God, how much we need God. Coby was in such fear. Looking around cautiously around the room. Not trusting anybody. His tiny body curled up in the small bed. Searching for help. Searching for comfort. Searching for love. He was in such pain that he pulled out the IV-the one thing that was helping him get better. He was in such a desperate state that he didn't understand what was going on. Searching for comfort. And all I could do was sit there with him and hold his hand and tell him that I loved him. I was honestly at the point of tears so many times, because it hurt so much to see him in such pain and fear.
I can only imagine what God feels when He sees us, His children, searching for comfort, love. So often we are searching for His comfort in so many other places but in Him. Oftentimes we reject what we really need like Coby pulling out his IV. We are flailing little infants searching and looking in need. And yet He is the only One that can satisfy us, the only One who can comfort us. Coby has taught me that.
