Shakib is getting special attention

The next “starfish” that I would like to tell you about is Shakib.  We detailed his story in this blog from early last week.  Shakib is a 3 year old boy that was burned in a house fire 3 months ago.  His mother was having him sporadically cared for in the garage of a “shade tree burn doctor” in Mukono.  His burn involves his face, abdomen, pelvis, and left hand.  His left hand already has severe contractures and his knees are starting to be contracted also.

Shakib’s mother, Teddy, made a bold choice and decided to go with us from Mukono to Gaba, so that Shakib could be cared for at Wentz Medical Center.  This was brave because Teddy’s mother, who is the bread winner in their family, told Teddy that if she left, not to come back.  While at Wentz Medical Center, we are providing Shakib with aggressive burn care, physical therapy to improve his contractures, and the medicines that he needs.  We are making arrangements to find Teddy a house, and then pay her rent until Shakib is well.  We are paying food expenses for Teddy, Shakib, and Teddy’s daughter Sheila.  We are making arrangements for Sheila to attend school in Gaba.  She had actually not been in school in Mukono, because she did not have the needed school fees. 

We are already seeing improvement in Shakib’s burns and even more miraculously, we are seeing improved range of motion in the contracted knees.  The physical therapist sees hope that we can get Shakib’s knees mobile again, so that he can walk in the future.  When Shakib’s burns are healed and physical therapy has allowed his joints to make maximal improvement, we will help Shakib to get surgeries to help his mobility, if needed.

Here is where we need your help.  The total cost for 3 months of food, lodging, medical care, physical therapy and school fees will be about $600.  Future orthopedic surgeries could cost another $500.  I have committed Due Unto Others to cover these expenses (approximately $1,100) for this beautiful boy and his brave mother.  Jill and I feel that this family needs to feel God’s love in a special way and that Shakib needs to have his best chance at healing.  Shakib was born to a Muslim father, but he is no longer around.  We think that Teddy needs Christ, and we intend to take every opportunity to show Christ to her, in a tangible way.  If you would like to help with Shakib and his care, please email me at DueUnto@gmail.com.

We are in Soroti, about 6 hours NE of Kampala for the weekend and plan to be home on Monday night.  This is the 31^st location that we have traveled to during our time in Uganda.  I plan to tell you of the “Cardiac kids”, as I have time, in the next couple of days.

We said goodbye to Will and Marilyn Hugon today as we parted ways in Jinja.  They went with our friend Jonathan back to Kampala, then Entebbe to the airport.  We went further out to Soroti.  It was a blessing to have them work with us this past week and get a taste for what God is doing in Uganda. 

Thanks to all of you for your continued prayers and support.

Jay