She was laid back in the recliner with her eyes closed, thinking about how to answer my question. A troubled look crossed her face and her eyes opened.
When I left early that morning, I counted on the one thing we had in common - motherhood - to keep the conversation going. But when I asked her describe her seven-year old son to me, Shareefa struggled to remember him.
My heart broke for her as she tried to recall what her son enjoyed doing. Finally, a smile broke through her troubled expression, "Spelling. He likes spelling. He's a good reader."
As I asked her more questions about the children, she came alive speaking of them. " He's really shy at first," she said of her oldest son, the 7-year old, "But when he knows you, he's really free."
Her five-year old daughter is turning six in one week. She is smart and shy, "She likes to be busy, she's really helpful. And she really talks a lot."
Shareefa smiled when she got to the baby of the family. Her four-year old daughter is "always happy. She likes church and likes to sing. She's quiet."
It's been nearly a year since this 23-year old mother of three left her children in their village home, Esquibo, to come to Georgetown. Shareefa had been having headaches for over a year, slowly becoming more and more severe, as well as dizzy spells.
Test after test came back normal until Lupus showed up in a test. Further tests revealed that the Lupus had caused her kidneys to stop functioning. She was told she would need dialysis. Fearful of the procedure and the costs involved, Shareefa's husband took her home, where she would surely not live long.
Praise the Lord, Shareefa was encouraged to return to town once more and applied for a government subsidy. The Ministry of Heath granted her a certain number of treatments, roughly three months worth. After that she would have to reapply every three months, collect letters from her health care providers, and wait for approval again.
While Shareefa stays in town with her husband caring for her, her three children remain in Esquibo. The pain in her heart showed on her face, they don't have enough money to buy food for themselves right now, there's simply no way they can afford to bring the children to town and buy all new school uniforms and books.
I spent the morning at the Dialysis Center with Shareefa where she laid in the recliner for 4 hours receiving treatment. I was also able to speak with the head nurse about Shareefa's condition. It was a grim conversation, most of which was about finding her a donor before it's too late.
Shareefa and her husband were working as Bible workers when she got sick. Laying in her reclining chair she looked tired and worn out. But as she spoke about sharing Jesus with others, her face lit up. "At home, you have everything. As a missionary, there's nothing. You have to pray and let God provide."
She spoke of the peace and joy in her family during their time as missionaries. Her desire to get well, apart from her family, is fueled by her desire to do God's work as a missionary. She wants to get well and continue to spread the love of God all over Guyana.
Friends, I will have information up by next week on how you can help Shareefa with a donation. I pray you will check back and prayerfully decide to help this lovely young mother.
UPDATE: You can donate to help Shareefa here using PAYPAL. Please type in "Guyana- Shereefa Medical Fund"in the memo area to designate your donation to help get Shareefa the care she needs. If you are in the US you will receive a tax-deductable receipt.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for prayerfully considering this cause!!! I'll be making Shareefa her own blog this coming week that we will be updating with her progress. Thank you!!!!
UPDATE: You can donate to help Shareefa here using PAYPAL. Please type in "Guyana- Shereefa Medical Fund"in the memo area to designate your donation to help get Shareefa the care she needs. If you are in the US you will receive a tax-deductable receipt.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for prayerfully considering this cause!!! I'll be making Shareefa her own blog this coming week that we will be updating with her progress. Thank you!!!!
Thank you.
2 comments:
We are praying for you Shareefa and will help in any way we can ....i still remember her in good spirits when we anointed her at the hospital last year....God will work it out as He has done in the past. Lets continue to pray for Fazil and the kids....one can only imagine with this must be like for them.
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