I am in Nairobi, Kenya this week working in prisons with Prison Fellowship Kenya (www.pfm.org). While here, I met a man who has some experience with Kenyan hospice, and a young lady who told me a story about a her friend.
There is only one hospice in Nairobi, a town of 3.5 million people. Most patients are AIDS sufferers, and it sounds like the hospice teams are doing a great job treating symptoms. There is no federal funding for hospice, so patients must pay what they can. Private donors cover the rest.
I heard about a woman, age 23, who was diagnosed last year with inoperable brain cancer. She has just a year left, and is starting to lose her short-term memory. When she finally heard the news about her condition, she told her friend, “Hey, I don’t have to be an architect now!”
I’ll throw in one more comment in about her case. Apparently, she went mis-diagnosed within the Canada medical system. She had been seen several times, received a diagnosis of stress, and never returned to the doctor until her pain became excruciating. Apparently, in their system, it can be difficult to get a physician appointment when you need one. For many, our system isn’t much better.
These stories make me think of my Savior’s words, “Come to me you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give rest.” That is a Savior worth worshiping.
