Babies with babies

Here are some "snaps" of my patients cradling the dolls that Karen's mom sent. Kansiime is the little girl I wrote about a few days ago, who sits in wide-eyed silence, waiting. Jackline, in the next bed, has far to go, just admitted with the yellowish skin and scant hair and puffiness of Kwashiorkor .. but at least she can hold her doll while her mom nurses the newborn baby that pushed her off the edge. Her neighbor is Bakaswala, who giggles as she plays with her doll, and is more hungry and less chronically damaged than the others. Alisemera Jane is named after our member of parliament, and I hope she's elected some day, able to represent the hungry and struggling. Lastly Muhindo Richard, who made the most amazing recovery I've ever seen .. . his mother had run away with a soldier and his father's whereabouts are unknown, so he was passed through relatives until he landed with his very competent grandmother. As soon as she had the resource of milk, she poured it in, his edema melted away, his smile emerged, and he was ready for discharge in a week and a half. No shame in loving a doll here if you are a 5 year old boy.

It is a privilege to be the conduit for international protein (milk from the UN) or American baby dolls, and to gently re-awaken body and heart in these kids.