02 Jul The Cost of Loving Elvis
He spent his fourth birthday in the hospital last week.
I’m still in shock.
It hurts to enter the world of another family: a loving and diligent single mother; a sweet little boy in pain.
This was supposed to be a success story. A story of a boy in pain that went on to live a happy and fulfilling life. And yet a few days ago I got word that little Elvis died in recovery after his second surgery.
I am SO not used to this. It makes me realize how my own world is different – that I expect little boys to wake up after surgery. That stories that involve little children have a happy ending most of the time.
Elvis had a caring, careful surgeon who we have known for years who monitored Elvis personally. The staff was so involved. The mother was so attentive. The doctor had been so optimistic. And yet Elvis still died.
And we are not used to children dying.
Yet this is the world of our friends in Serere.
In Uganda, nearly one little boy in ten doesn’t make it until his fifth birthday.
Our staff was with the family at the hospital during the surgery. Afterwards, they collected and transported the tiny body, purchased the coffin and helped to bury this sweet little one. V2V guardians cooked food for hundreds of mourners, and comforted his grieving mom. Funeral preparations last for days in the village and everything is done by the family. In this case, the family included V2V.
Please pray for his mother Beatrice, and his little sister and family. For the Village2Village Project staff members in Serere who are so very sad. For his new sponsors who had just received his photo. And for so many others, including the other children in our program who have loved this little “brother” so much over the past six months as he played with them. As one of our staff told us, “He had become so healthy and strong, so loving…talking of going to school… Then at the point when we are very sure of him, death robbed us. It is heart breaking.”
Thank you for your love and concern for the vulnerable children and families in this rural area. They have gone through so much, and your support for them brings so much encouragement. At the funeral, village leader after village leader thanked V2V for loving and caring for this family in their desperation over the last several months. And although it is a duty that is incredibly painful…your support helps us be there for them and it is appreciated.
For the children,
Laurie Kroll
Executive Director
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