Two summers ago, Kabasunguzi Grace came into our team life as an emaciated little girl close to death. That summer interns Carol and Laura spent time with her at the hospital, reading books and bringing encouragement. Kim and her visiting aunt became involved too in her emergency transport to a referral hospital. After months of frustrating care and diagnostic difficulty, treatment for schistosomiasis of the brain seemed to arrest the progression of her disease, but she was left blind and crippled. Nevertheless, with good nutritional support and medicine she improved and finally went home from the hospital. We have continued to keep up our relationship, mostly because she’s one of the cheeriest people I know, with a sense of humor that even my limited Lubwisi allows me to enjoy. This summer I took our current crop of interns to visit her at home, and we left with the idea of the interns going in together to build or purchase her a wheel chair. Before they left they obtained one for her in Fort Portal and sent it back to Bundibugyo. Yesterday we went to deliver the new wheel chair, which will allow here to be moved around outside rather than lie on a bed in her little damp and dark mud house! And we bought a radio, so she can hear the news and music even though she can’t see. I wish all you interns could have heard her delighted laugh . . .but a picture will have to suffice. THANKS.
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