Giving Away Your Birthday
What does it mean to "give away your birthday"? We found out when one generous little boy from Indiana did it when he turned nine.
You see, usually birthdays (especially for kids) are all about the presents. Sure, it's a celebration, and there's nothing wrong with that. But often the day becomes more about what we get out of it. So, some wise folks out there had the thought to turn that idea on it's head. What if instead of getting on your birth, you used it as a day to give? People who decide to "give away their birthday" use it as an opportunity to tell others about a ministry or cause that they really believe in. Then, they invite their friends and family to donate, instead of buying them presents! How great is that?
Joseph was one of these huge-hearted people. At the tender age of 8-going-on-9, he decided to give away his birthday for Soddo Christian Hospital. Here is the letter he wrote to all his friends and family. They shared it by email, blog, and Facebook:
For my birthday, I decided I am going to give my birthday away. Instead of gifts, I want to raise money. I have chosen Soddo Christian Hospital in Soddo, Ethiopia. Soddo is where I was born and lived before I came to America. I am so lucky-this summer I get to go with my dad, Granddad and brother to visit Soddo.
This hospital is not just an ordinary hospital-everyone who come in learns about Jesus. This is something that is important to me.
Also, Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world. This hospital helps people in one of the poorest parts of the country. Without this hospital, they might not get any help.
I am raising money for them to buy a CPAP machine. A CPAP machine helps babies be able to breath correctly. When my twin brothers were born early, this machine saved their lives. I am excited to help save babies lives.
Thanks to the generosity of Joseph and his friends and family, $9,700 was raised. That's right. You heard that correctly. $9,700! The hospital was able to buy not one, not two, but THREE CPAP machines. And several babies lives have been saved as a result. (The mortality of pre-term babies is very high in Ethiopia, but due to these machines, our survival rate is improving dramatically). This small act of selflessness on the part of this child yielded dividends that are saving lives!
So, what do you say? Are you ready to give away your next birthday?
One Day Too Late
"If only she had come in one day sooner." I can't tell you how many times I think that here. Elfinesh was a 32 year old woman in the prime of her life, with a loving husband and two small children. She came in to the emergency room with a history of four days of vomiting. The illness, abrupt in onset, had taken a horrific toll on her body in such a short time. It was probably sepsis - when an infection spreads rapidly through the body via the blood.
We worked as hard as we could. Three of our staff doctors and two of our nurses attended to her simultaneously. Placing IV lines, giving fluids, antibiotics, running tests. Elfinesh clung to life, but she was so far gone that she was in a coma and unresponsive to anything. A few hours into her course, she stopped breathing. We tried to support her breathing, and when her heart stopped, we tried CPR. Unfortunately, our attempts came to nothing, and after about four hours, she passed from this life into the next.
I wish I could tell you this was a rare occurrence. But the reality is that in a country where access to medical care is sorely lacking, many patients wait too long. Maybe they live several days' walk from the nearest health center. Maybe they have no money to scrape together even the $2 that it would take to see a doctor. Perhaps they are delayed by traditional and cultural healing practices that actually exacerbate the problem. The barriers to care are numerous, and as a result, many suffer. All of our providers can tell stories of patients who came in just a day too late.
You see, there are no Minute Clinics in Ethiopia. In our region of 3 million people, there are only two hospitals. There are no accredited laboratories. In a country of 90 million people, there are only 18 CT scanners. There are NO cardiac surgeons. Consider even the lack of the most basic of health care needs - trained general practitioners. In Ethiopia, there is only one doctor for every 50,000 population. (In the US, there are 100 times as many providers per capita).
We are working to address these issues. Not only are we providing care, but we are training in order to build capacity. But we need your help! With funding, we can provide more training and more service. We can expand access so that there are fewer stories that end like Elfinesh's. Help us help Ethiopia.