Happy moment: connecting families...

Today’s HAPPY MOMENT was when I introduced two families to each other, each with a baby with a cleft lip and palate. 

In a country where children with birth defects are seen as “devils”, stigma and shame are daily realities and there are physical challenges in caring for a child with a cleft lip and palate, it can be very isolating for the parents. Knowing that they are not alone and feeling supported is often a game changer! 

It’s always a delight to introduce families to each other and witness the hope and encouragement they experience when they see that they are not alone. I also love showing photos of children who have received surgery and watch the parents’ faces light up when they realize that their child really can be transformed through surgery. It is a joy and a privilege to provide ongoing support and care for these children. They hold a special place in my heart.  

E’s mom confessed later in the morning that when she is at home in her community, she often feels lonely, ashamed and worried, but when she comes to our clinic, she feels cared for, encouraged and hopeful. It warms my heart to know that our clinic provides a safe space and even though we have formal weekly visits for weight checks, she knows that she is welcome at any time. 

I pray that these two little ones continue to grow well and that their lives are amazing testimonies of God’s love and hope. 

“You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you. The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day. Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I’ll never comprehend them! I couldn’t even begin to count them— any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!” Psalm 139

  

#happymoment #everychildmatters #hoperestored #transforminglives #cleftlipandpalatepatients #specialplaceinmyheart  #showsomeoneyoucare 

Moments of thankfulness...

A good friend of mine, who I met in Sierra Leone, has been an inspiration to me for a number of years now. She was full of smiles and encouragement. She loved to laugh and have a good time. Even after she was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, she kept a positive outlook on life. She used to laugh at my blog posts, especially the ones about the challenges of living in Sierra Leone, and say how it made her more grateful. She introduced me to the book “One thousand gifts” by Ann Voskamp and shared about the importance of embracing a lifestyle of gratitude. The last time we spoke, as she was packing up to go back to Canada for good, she gave me her copy of the book. I still read it often and remember Jen’s smile and I continue to be inspired to live a life of gratitude. It's not easy, and I still complain a lot, but I am trying!

In 2014, at the start of the Ebola outbreak, I decided to write down something I was thankful for every single day, for a year. I did this so that I would have a little bit of reflection time everyday and focus on the positive things in life during a very challenging time. My initial month of postings can be found here: The first 30 days of thankfulness...

This past Christmas, I was reminded of the importance of being grateful at all times and was once again inspired to create a list of gratitude. It’s in these very moments of thankfulness that we experience beauty, peace and grace.

Here are my moments of thankfulness in January 2018:

1. I went on my first walk on the beach in 2018 - thankful for my parents & beach walks.
2. I’m not crazy about going to the dentist but I am thankful for good dental care in The Netherlands.
3. Thankful for slumber parties with my niece & teddy bears.
4. Thankful for freshly baked stroopwafels - yum.
5. Thankful for grapes, blueberries and strawberries - oh how I will miss you.
6. Thankful to go on a city walk in Middelburg - tourist in my own city & for hot chocolate and apple pie.
7. Thankful for an amazing missions weekend at church - inspiring, encouraging and such a blessing!
8. Baking with one of my nieces is always fun - thankful for time with Zoey & making blueberry muffins.
9. Thankful for time spent with my mom and sister - I will miss family.
10. Yay. I’m back in Sierra Leone and very thankful for a safe and smooth return.
11. Thankful that day 1 in the clinic went well, even though I was on my own since my colleague is sick. 
12. I was thankful it was Friday :)
13. Thankful to spend time with an amazing Dutch/Ghanaian family here.
14. 38 years ago my parents left the Netherlands and moved onto the M/V Anastasis. I was 2 years old. I’m thankful for their courage and perseverance and the amazing childhood I had.
15. Thankful to connect with an MPH classmate through WhatsApp- it’s nice to be connected a bit more since we don’t have face-to-face classes.
16. Thankful to start up the Kroo Bay clinic again. Sadly our first patient was critical and died at the Children’s hospital 12 hours later. A stark reminder of the need for the clinic.
17. Thankful to see all of my friends at Bible Study.
18. Thankful to see Abubakar and Mbalu again - they finally passed the 5kg mark this week. Hurray for growth.
19. Thankful for an amazing team at work and thankful that we completed all of the staff reviews today.
20. Thankful for time at River 2 beach with friends to escape work and study!
21. Thankful for the international church group.
22. Thankful I survived 2x8 min of running 😉
23. Thankful for electricity after not having it all evening/night on Monday.
24. Thankful for tea and chocolate!
25. Thankful I survived a 20 min non-stop run.
26. Thankful for quality time with a friend and trying Gigibonta’s pizza for the first time.
27. Thankful for a games night with friends - we were so close to saving the world too...maybe next time.
28. Thankful for a Sunday afternoon beach walk with Suzanne - it had been a while.
29. Despite a very challenging case at work today I am thankful to be able to support the patient’s family through the child’s illness and the difficult situation they are in.
30. Thankful to have submitted another individual assignment for my MPH.
31. Thankful that a plant I’ve been watering back to life for the past week has green leaves shooting up today - it’s a great symbol of new beginnings.

#momentsofthankfulness #somuchtobegratefulfor #embracingalifestyleofgratitude #thankfulness #bethankful #thanksgiving #January2018 #2018makeitcount #alwaysanadventure #actjustlylovemercywalkhumbly

It’s 2018 and I’m back in Sierra Leone after a cold but fun two week break in The Netherlands with family. I wonder what this year has in store for me. I have some hopes and dreams but I also have many questions and things to ponder. Don't we all. Some of these dreams I’ve had for a very long time...

So, 2018. What will this year hold? Am I the only one who never seems to know what I want in life? “When I grow up I want to be a...” Wait a minute I am grown up. Well, there are days that I really don’t know what I want in life and I don’t feel very grown up at all. The good thing is, we never have to have it all figured out. 

What I do know is that right now, I’m in the right place, doing the right thing. And I’m trusting that if I need to head in a different direction at some point, it will be made clear - I will know when to move on and where to move on to. For now, I am staying put. And trusting God. 

Life is busy. Work is busy. There’s an abundance of disease and never a shortage of patients. Today on my first day back I was in the clinic on my own. Seeing 54 patients. There were a surprising number with malaria and a lot with gastroenteritis. One child tested positive for HIV, while another had to be reminded of the importance of taking preventative medication due to his sickle cell disease. There’s never a dull moment. And, just to keep me on my toes, last month I started a distance learning Masters in Public Health. Yes, it’s busy. 

Let’s see where 2018 takes me...

#2018makeitcount #alwaysanadventure #actjustlylovemercywalkhumbly #sierraleone

Freetown Flooding: the landscape then and now

On 14 August 2016, I went to Regent to visit one of my colleagues at his home on the hillside. I took photos of the beautiful landscape that day. Little did we know that exactly a year later, 14 August 2017, torrential rains would lead to a mudslide down Sugar Loaf mountain, followed by unprecedented flooding and the loss of hundreds of lives. These images taken a year apart in roughly the same spot, speak for themselves. Regent is the epicentre of the disaster, but the devastation stretches much further down the valley to the Lumley area. Prayers go out to all those affected and to those responding. 

#prayforSierraLeone

Freetown Flooding: one week later

It is one week since the tragic mudslide and flooding took place at Sugar Loaf Mountain in Regent, Kamayama, Kaningo in Freetown. 492 bodies have been buried, with hundreds still missing and thousands of people displaced. The country remains in a state of mourning as people try to come to terms with their losses.

Today a mom came to the clinic with her 6 week old. With great sorrow she told us that her husband and mother died in the flooding in Kadingo. This mom is now a widow and her child will never know his father. 

On Saturday I met a lady whose family slept in their new home in Regent for the first time on the eve of the disaster. Early Monday morning the lady, her husband and their one year old went to their former house to get the last belongings. By the time they returned to Regent the landslide had taken place. Their 12 and 4 year old children died in the mudslide. They never saw them again. 

There are many sad stories. There is so much grief. Yet the resilience of the Sierra Leoneans is remarkable. Time after time they demonstrate that even in a crisis, they press on. They stand together. They smile. They are courageous. They are kind. Yes, there is a lot of sorrow, but in the midst of it, they show great strength. So many people have worked hard to make sure the victims are given dignified burials and the displaced are being provided for. The response continues. Please remember this country and pray for her people. 

#prayforSierraLeone
#SierraLeone

Even in the storm...

‪













Life has its ups and downs.
It's a bit of a rollercoaster ride.
Storms come and go.
Sometimes they are big.
Sometimes they are small.
Sometimes they pass quickly.
Sometimes they last longer than we hope.‬
‪Rather than waiting out the storm, often it's best to learn to dance in it.‬
‪Try to make the most of life. ‬
‪Even in the storm, there are moments of joy.‬
Even in the storm, there are memories to cherish.
Even in the storm, you can count your blessings.
‪Even in the storm, there are things to be thankful for.
It's time to learn to dance.

#sandralako2017
#eveninthestorm #learntodance #joy #grace #thankfulness #sierraleone #transition

Quote in photo by Vivian Greene

40 Acts of Kindness...

 

On the 8th of May I started a 30-day challenge to complete acts of kindness as one of my #40before40 activities. This challenge included a wide variety of acts and the recipients have included family, friends in Freetown, elsewhere in Sierra Leone and far away, as well as complete strangers. It’s been fun to surprise people and see their expressions of gratefulness.

In a world with so much hatred and despair it is great to play a small part in spreading kindness and joy. I would encourage anyone reading this post to pay it forward and extend an act of kindness to someone today. In a world where you can be anything: Be Kind.

One of the fun things was that my acts of kindness sometimes “backfired” on me. When I got the phone credit for one of my acts of kindness I planned to let the lady who owns the shop opposite my house keep the change, but instead she gave me my change and gifted me with a bag of popcorn. It was an act of kindness in reverse! I was also blessed when one of the Sierra Leonean doctors gave me a lift home after the SLMDA meeting. He went out of his way to drop me off. He said “we need to look out for each other.” That was much appreciated.

I loved this activity and since the focus this year is 40, I decided to extend the challenge for an additional 10 days, to allow for 40 days of intentional acts of kindness. Here’s the list:

1. Bought NPA (electricity) topup for a friend

2. Treated 3 friends to a meal at a "new" restaurant in Lumley - enjoying African cuisine

3. Made a cup of tea for my house help - it was raining and she was cold (although it was still 30 C outside!)

4. Gave a few phone credit scratch cards to one of my security guards - he was surprised, gave a big smile and said "thanks and God bless"

5. Gave cans of Coca Cola to two different taxi drivers on a hot afternoon 

6. Gave a friend a hug 

7. Gave coconut to a group of children at the beach

8. Made a donation to the organization "charity: water" in honor of my mom on Mother's Day 

9. Sent handwritten cards to friends who are on leave in the UK and Switzerland

10. Gave a card and money to a couple to go and enjoy ice cream at Gigibonta

11. Spent some time at a friend’s house to make sure that her furniture was delivered and assembled while she’s on leave in the USA

12. Helped a friend in need financially

13. Helped someone who is unable to write, write a card for a couple getting married 

14. Bought ice cream for a friend

15. Wrote a card of encouragement to a friend leaving Sierra Leone later in the day, who is moving back to the UK

16. Made lime bar treats for Bible study 

17. Donated money to the organization “Mariatu's Hope” to help with the cost of a tutor

18. Gave a new security guard some Guinea mangos 

19. Had a friendly chat with a random taxi driver and then paid double for my taxi ride

20. Donated money to the organization “Planting Promise” for their school-feeding program in Sierra Leone on World Hunger Day

21. Gave a bag of rice to my house help 

22. Baked chocolate chip cookies for the “Kings Sierra Leone Partnership” team at Connaught hospital and had them delivered to their offices the next day

23. Spent the day helping two blind patients access appropriate healthcare including investigations in other facilities

24. Spent more time with a patient to get a CT scan at a different hospital

25. Sent phone credit anonymously to two former colleagues and my caretaker

26. Packed up clothing I don’t wear anymore to take to Namina’s family in Bailor village

27. Gave chocolates to a group of children

28. Went to Murray Town with someone I just met to help her pick up her fiancé at the Sea Bird water taxi, while I was also picking up a friend

29. Paid the taxi fares for fellow passengers in two different taxis. The smiles and gratefulness expressed was so worth it. 

30. Copied and bound my study manual for the pediatric primary exam and gave it to a Sierra Leonean doctor who is planning to take the exam in a few months time

31. Bought medicine for a friend’s colleague 

32. Gave money to my house help towards her pending surgery 

33. Bought a ticket for a Sierra Leonean law student to attend the Advocaid film festival on women's rights

34. Supported the medical students talent and awards night

35. Sent gifts to my nieces in the Netherlands 

36. Sent money to a family friend who is pursuing a course in counseling

37. Sent money to Stefan, Genae and the kids to treat themselves to treats at “Menchies”

38. Sent a get well card to a dear family friend who is recovering from surgery

39. Sent a card to my parents in Haiti, via TN, to let them know I love them

40. Bought Luci lights, cool solar powered lights, for Junior’s family & Namina’s family  

#randomactsofkindness #actsofkindness #bekind #payitforward #40before40 #sandraturns40 #40isthenew30 #bucketlist #alwaysanadventure #sierraleone #sweetsalone

21. ✔A 30-day challenge - completing acts of kindness or gratefulness (8/5/17-16/6/17)