HVO Story of the Month - April 2007

By Florence Judd

Undiagnosed diabetes and blindness had locked Clemencia into a dark, hopeless world for over a year. In the jungle village of Kashmaimi she was far from roads and medical aid. But help was on its way.

Knowing nothing of this young mother's plight, the monthly medical caravan from Hospital Vozandes - Shell for February 2007 was to Kashmaimi. Dr. Jerry Koleski headed the team and found Clemencia in such a serious state that he arranged for her to fly out with them three days later when the caravan finished.

Our hospital has an eye clinic twice a month with two different specialists from Quito. The first specialist diagnosed cataracts and requested the second bring a special apparatus from Quito the following week. This apparatus checked for possible retina damage caused by the diabetes. There was none and the cataract on the right eye was removed on the Wednesday. By this time her husband Josè had left their four young children in Kashmaimi and joined his wife. When blind Clemencia was wheeled across to the eye clinic to have the patch removed, we were all nervous. Would she be able to see? What jubilation - she could!

God has poured abundant blessings on this family and they recognize this. The hospital chaplain has commented on how attentive they are to God's Word. They have been given copies of Job and Proverbs in their native Shuar tongue (the entire Old Testament is yet to be translated into this language). Another blessing is that their hospital bill has been met by the hospital charity fund and a church in Llanddulas in North Wales.