Sadness, Confusion, and Exhaustion...

Last night I wrote to you about my day basically in awe of the hospital system here. All I could think to do was poke fun at the decisions made and the things I witnessed. Today it's with sadness, confusion, and exhaustion that I write you this news.

Dino, died suddenly this morning in the Maputo hospital in their version of a pediatric ICU. Saturday he started with high fevers and was started on antibiotics Saturday afternoon. Sunday he began vomiting but his malaria test was negative and he began drinking mistura (a rehydration fluid) through everything his fevers continued. Monday morning he started vomiting everything even small sips of mistura or water. He also had severe problems breathing, started becoming agitated, confused at times, and at one point had trouble speaking properly. He went to the hospital at this point with myself and another missionary who works in the Baby House.

We sat in the ER for 5 hours with him before he was finally admitted to the ICU and put on an oxygen mask. A tia stayed the night with him and apparently kept trying to tell someone he wasn't getting any better but no assessment was done until the doctors did rounds this morning. Early today I received a text message saying he was in the same condition but some time before 9:30 he passed away. I was in the city trying to learn the buying system for our pharmacy (something I will be doing when I return at the end of February) when we received the call. We went over to the hospital to comfort another missionary and the tia who had been with them. I am praying that God wipes my memory clean of the next few hours as I helped get him to the morgue, prayed over him, and left his little body until the funeral could be planned.

To tell you a little bit about this dear boy...Dino was almost 3 1/2 years old and one of our HIV+ boys. He came to live at the center almost 2 years ago after being abandoned by his parents at the hospital. We don't have a last name or a birth date for him...just a first name and approximately how old he is. He was severely malnourished and has untreated HIV and tuberculosis when he came to live with us. He could barely sit up let alone crawl at age 17
months. God has performed many miracles in this little boy over the time he's been at the center. He transformed into a joyful, chubby,adorable character full of life. He was our "Mr. Dino" because of his ability to dance, laugh, and play through every minute of life. He's been relatively healthy after his initial recovery until I arrived. Since then he has been sick on and off pretty regularly usually with recurring chest infections. That being said he has made a full
recovery from each and his death for us was very unexpected. We even had a visiting emergency room doctor see him yesterday and when I talked to her after returning to the center today she was in shock by the news just the same as us.

Many of us are comforted today by the idea that Dino was prepared for his death. Children have a sense about so many things and yesterday Dino continually asked to go to sleep. To all those who know Dino well he would never ask to sleep. Even when he was sick and we would tell him he needed to rest or not go outside with the other kids he would cry and get upset. But yesterday he must have asked me 25 or 30 times if he could go to sleep. I pray in thanksgiving for this little life that brought so much joy to many. I thank God that he is now full and healthy in heaven. I ask that you pray for our center, missionaries, and tias as we cope with this death. His funeral has been planned for Thursday morning, a final farewell and thanksgiving for his joyful life. There are many tears, hugs, and sadness around the base tonight. Thank you for the prayers I know you will each send up.

For now the internet won't let me load pictures of our beloved Mr. Dino...I'll try again later.