'There's Another': Meet Margaret

We weren't back in Sandema more than five minutes when a woman approached us at the bus station to tell us "There's another". And so, just after returning from Kumasi, we learned of a child with a cleft palate in the nearby village of Fumbisi.

Knowing we needed to return to Kumasi for the July 3rd clinic, and recognizing our fundraising had surpassed what we had budgeted we would need for Angelina, we immediately asked to meet the child to "see what we could do". We went into the meeting with the full-intention of asking the mother if we could take her child to Kumasi too, and this past Saturday the mother accepted our offer.

Allow me to introduce Margaret and her mother Lydia. 

Margaret is four months old and has a cleft lip & cleft palate. 

Lydia recently traveled to Accra where she had heard there was an assessment clinic for cleft palate children. There she was told the surgeons could operate but that the surgery would cost 250cedi-500cedi ($125 - $250). The cost of the surgery, as well costs associated with surgery (prescriptions, hospital fees, meals etc.), were too much for Margaret's family, especially after paying to travel all the way to Accra. Lydia was forced to bring Margaret home without the surgery.

We will travel with Lydia and Margaret to Kumasi next week to have Margaret assessed at the Kumasi Cleft Clinic. We will request a surgery date but have no idea when exactly we will be offered a surgery slot. Although we are dreaming of the possibility of July 4th there are many things that will need to fall into place for that to happen.

The idea of returning to Kumasi again, with another child, is much more daunting than the first trip. Now that I know what we're getting into it is easy to have a lot more worries. However, there are also a lot of factors that work in our favour. Now that we have gone through this process once, we can better anticipate what is needed of us and can better navigate the challenges of the hospital system. Lydia speaks English, and is more familiar with travel, which will take many stresses off the trip. And I'm confident it is not a coincidence that we have encountered Margaret in this timing. There is a plan that is bigger than us, and I know what we need will be provided just as it was for Angelina.

In addition, at this time we anticipate Margaret's initial trip to Kumasi can be fully funded from the donations initially received for Angelina's surgery! Thank you for your generosity that has made it possible for us to assist not one but TWO beautiful little girls from the Builsa District. 

Please join with me in praying for our trip to the July 3rd travel clinic. Pray for Angelina's cleft lip follow-up appointment, and eye assessment, praying specifically that any special needs would be identified. Please pray for Margaret's trip, for her mother that is traveling with her, and for a timely surgery date to be assigned.