Andrew Recovering from TB!

Friends, we had a scare last month when one of our first enrollees in Peter’s Heart became seriously ill with TB. Right before Christmas (2022) schools closed early for the holiday term because EBOLA was threatening to spread in Uganda. When on holiday, Andrew always goes to his Aunt’s because she is his closest family and his younger brother lives there as well. The slum area has unsanitary conditions and disease is common. Our Peter’s Heart Policy is that we are not “foster care” but we try to come along side guardians and parents to help them provide for the children. Therefore, though there are risks involved, we feel that it is important for the family ties to stay intact as much as possible. Sometime over this period Andrew must have contracted TB and when he went back to school in late February, it wasn’t long before his cough caught the attention of the teachers and he was sent home to be treated. It was discovered that he had TB and the doctors began treatment, yet it was so far progressed that hospitalization was necessary. Andrew grew so weak he could not carry on a conversation or move around on his own. He lost weight, ran a fever, and his cough worsened. It was discovered that his TB had become septic pneumonia and his fever was high for many days. Prayers went up on both sides of the Atlantic and through a series of events, our Board member, Corrie Smith, contacted a medical doctor at Yale who worked also in Kampala and was doing TB research. He had contacts at a Pediatric Hospital in Kampala that specialized in TB and Andrew was transferred to that hospital. The Doctors took charge and communicated regularly with our US Peter’s Heart Board to let us know how Andrew was doing. After the fever broke and the TB seemed to be more under control, this doctor said this was nothing short of miraculous!!! We agree. Andrew was released from the hospital once he was no longer running a fever and it was determined that he was not contagious. He is recovering at Church and Geoffrey’s house, two of our staff who have always extended open arms and an open home to all of these children. He is receiving the care he needs, is gaining some of his weight back and conversing normally again, which is always a delight because his smile lights up a room. His strength is slowly returning, though as of the last week (first week of May) he could not really navigate many steps without assistance. He looks forward to the time when he can return to school and get back on track with his secondary school studies. We can’t imagine the good things that are yet to come for this young man!