My name is Beth Emery and my first trip to Malawi was in 2018 and I am currently prepping for my third trip to the Passion Center for Children. Last year, I was blessed to serve for 2 months primarily with the Community Health Network and Champs Program. I have been a registered nurse for 4 years and have primarily worked in the hospital setting. Prior to leaving for a 2-month trip, I had not made any specific plans on how I would be serving and I was open to whatever God had planned. I would never have dreamed what He had in store.
I was blessed to assist the CHN team with the early planning and infant assessments for the Infant Rescue Program (IRP). All of the infants the team and I assessed were in desperate need of support and aide but one infant in particular stood out to me, his name was Proitance.
Proitance was about 3 months old when a CHN volunteer in the area identified him as a potential candidate for the IRP. Upon arriving at his grandmother’s house, simply listening to his cry alerted me there was a serious problem. Proitance lived with his grandmother after his mother died and was abandoned by his father. His grandmother reported having difficulty providing adequate nutrition and caring for his skin condition in her advanced age. Proitance had a rare genetic skin condition that resulted in multiple, painful, and open blisters on his entire body. That day, we took Proitance to a medical clinic and a local hospital because he was so ill and malnourished. Proitance unfortunately received a diagnosis that had no cure. The only treatment was supportive care including increased protein for wound healing and wound care to treat and prevent blisters.
A few days later, the team and I returned to Proitance’s home to deliver formula and assess his wounds. During this time, Abusa Ng'ambani was able to share the gospel and pray with Proitance’s grandmother and several other neighbors from the surrounding area.
The next day, a CHN volunteer notified us Proitance had passed away. Despite this tragic loss, the Lord had used us to share the gospel to Proitance family and neighbors. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”. There are so many other infants like Proitance that are in need of physical and spiritual help. This is why the Infant Rescue Project is so meaningful to me.
Interested in becoming an IRP sponsor or supporting our Infant Rescue Home? Visit our website!
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