Earth Angels at FAME Medical

A little girl stole our hearts five months ago. Here name is Jackline. Her father carried her into FAME Medical in a ketoacidotic coma, probably triggered by a severe infection. With the emergency care she received from the FAME team and our telemedicine communication with a volunteer consultant and Endrocrinologist in the U.S, Jackline survived this crisis. Very weak, but finally stable, she was able to go home with her parents the following day. Unfortunately, her parents are among the poorest of the poor in rural Tanzania. Just putting food on the table each night is a challenge, let alone covering the costs of her twice a day insulin. We all wondered when the next crisis would hit. But then we were reminded......there are, indeed, "earth angels" among us. Someone in the community agreed to cover her medication costs on an ongoing basis, and one of our long-term supporters and volunteer doctors made the offer of a lifetime. Dr. Duane Koenig started seeing Jackline for follow-up visits and could see how precarious her medical situation was due to the poverty she and her family lived in. He wondered how her family might feel about her attending a neighborhood Boarding School, where she would receive three good meals a day, the necessary dietary supplements to keep her diabetes well controlled, and close monitoring by a School Nurse. With the help of one of our translators, he approached the parents about the possibility and offered to be Jackline's Sponsor. The family was ecstatic, as was Jackline. For a motivated, capable child, like Jackline, this was a dream come true. Our team rallied. Siana Nkya, our Head Nurse and William Mhapa, our Community Health Facilitator, met with the school Head Master and nurse to discuss Jackline's medical condition and needs. Dr. Duane donated the money to cover her school fees and school supplies, and Jackline began attending Tumaini Junior School on February 27th. She also came in for a check-up last week. She was smiling, laughing, quite literally glowing, and she left those of us at FAME Medical glowing too.