One dusty summer evening the emergency room at CCH was running busy.

A young girl was rolled in. She was thin emaciated and dehydrated. Her brother recounted

to us that she had not eaten for two weeks. They were running from one village quack

to the other. Now her bowel movements were affected. Preliminary blood investigations

and x-rays were ordered by the doctor. There was concern on her relative’s faces.

They had by now exhausted majority of their money. They wanted to know whether the test

would cost them lot. They were reassured. Physical examination and investigations were

pointing to peritonitis abdomen. She was hydrated, electrolytes were corrected.

Relatives were given a bleak prognosis. They were told that she requires emergency surgery

to save her life and get her intestines working again. They pleaded not to send her to any

other hospital. If sent the only place they would take her was home and let her die. The ER team

after valiant effort stabilized her. She was taken into the operating room. The team prayed

for her. Intra operatively she was found to have a cocoon abdomen. Her intestines were

adhered together forming a mass with multiple tubercles very classical of tuberculosis

of abdomen. A portion of her gut had become gangrenous, which made her very sick.

The surgeon resected gangrenous portion and brought out the end as a stoma.

She remained very unstable throughout surgery and was shifted to the ICU. She had a

very stormy course in hospital. She was finally discharged after the nursing team taught

her stoma care.

But within a few days she was back. This time she had infection of the stoma site. Inadequate

nutrition and improper stoma care all contributed to the situation. The stoma retracted and

that required another surgery. She was distraught, her father and mother were all disappointed.

The second surgery was more challenging. 

The stoma was taken down and anastomosed. Two surgeries and inability to establish

appropriate nutrition was taking a toll on her. The disease itself was now aggressively

progressing. She was showing signs of tuberculosis reaching the brain. Even the treating

team had lost all hope by then. Only thing that engaged everyone was that there were incessant

prayers for her. One by one her relatives stopped coming to see her. Her brother was the

only one who stood by her now. She showed signs of severe depression. Staff of the hospital

individually collectively started giving her company and encouraged her; some brought her

food she liked. This was also the opportunity to share gospel with her. She saw the love Christ

in action in the people who showed concern. The young girl showed extraordinary inner

strength to with stand this. As days passed by she showed signs of improvement.

With nutrition taken care of and infection under control, anti tubercular treatment

could be started. Finally there was smile on her face. She could see that the God of the

people treating her was indeed great and He could heal. We in CCH can testify that our

God performs miracles. She went home, but she will require further surgery. Pray that the

God who started His work in her will complete it. All Glory to God.