Last days in Namwianga

Our last two days in Namwianga were filled with different emotions.  We had gotten back from Livingston on Saturday and were back to therapy.  We had a good day back and were waiting to hear about how Andrew had done while we were gone.  On Monday night, we got the news that he had died due to complications of his illnesses.  He had tested positive for HIV and was on treatments,  his body was not accepting the nutrition from the food he ate, he had stopped eating, his veins collapsed with the IV, he tested positive for Hep B, and he had pneumonia.  Andrew was a sweet 3 year old boy who had struggled for life when he was a baby.  I was looking through my pictures, and I did not have a lot of Andrew but I had about 10 pictures from one Saturday that I took while holding Andrew for about 2 1/2 hours.  He went to the hospital later that day. 

Tuesday was full of sadness.  We did our last group therapies that morning and came back for lunch.  I was with the feeding group and was able to see a lot of improvement with the HIV and TB babies from the beginning until now.  After lunch, we left to go back to attend Andrew's funeral.  He looked very peaceful during the viewing which was done behind Haven 2 on a table from the Haven.  We walked down to the plot where he was buried which was down a hill behind Haven 2.  This place was full of names of children who had been lost.  The funeral was sad but Andrew is in a much better place now.  As I walked away, I looked and saw a gravestone where Quintyn's twin brother Tanner had been buried.

After the funeral, we were given that last 45 minutes to do whatever we wanted at the Haven, so I went and got Quintyn and we just talked.  I did not make him do tummy time or practice holding his head up.  I just held him and then it was time to go.  I walked back into the room where he sleeps and said good-bye to every child in the room, then kissed Quintyn good-bye and walked out.  I walked back with Dr. Tullos the super short way and just thought about my time at Namwianga.

If I could do it all over again, would I? ABSOLUTELY!!!!  Without at doubt. 

Thank you again for all the support that I was given.
Much Love,
Shanna