Here are two short stories, inspired by our clients and told by our local team members.
The first one is about our rheumatic heart disease (RHD) program, from a local team member in a place called Aleiu:
We had a boy in the village who was very sick. But his parents were doing the traditional medicine. I ask Mana S and Mana W to come to see him. They call their doctor in Dili, they think he has a sick heart, he has a fever and has got very thin. They help him to get the heart scan and treatment and help to link with the doctor. He is better now but needs to be on medicine injections. I ask to learn about rheumatic heart disease to tell the other families.
The second story is about our tuberculosis (TB) program, from a local team member in a place called Beloi:
We had a girl who had TB, but she was scared to go to the hospital as she didn’t want her family to know. She didn’t see the doctor. I know she was coughing. After I learn about TB I worry too about this. I talked to her and I talked to her father. He then understands if she takes the medicine she is not contagious, he says he will not kick her out of the house. She then is calm and will go to the hospital. Now she takes the antibiotics for 3 weeks already.