Update July 11 2024 - What a Rigmarole to Get Mom to Hospital - and Still Fail

Update July 11 2024 - What a Rigmarole to Get Mom to Hospital for Debridement Assessment - - and Still Fail.

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SAVE SHEILA'S LIFE CAUSE

(South Africa)

Hi Family Friends and Prayer Warriors

So much has happened, it feels like an avalanche. I don't know where I would be if Jesus was not my
anchor.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

I'm clinging to Jesus with everything I have got, and trusting God every day to show my family and I our daily steps in this journey

Mom is in good health, and getting stronger day by day.

But she still has not been admitted to Hospital for surgical debridement; my understanding of the delays thus far is that this is mainly due to "procedures".

Please note: I'll be talking about three different government medical facilities in this post, and to avoid being sued or jeopardising any court cases we may make in the future, I am not using their real names.

I will use instead: "Clinic 1", "Clinic 2" and "Local Hospital"

Here is a summary of the events from the last four days:

Just a quick reminder: We've been unable to bring Mom to Clinic 1's Wound Care Department for treatment because she is currently unable to sit, stand, or walk, and we lack the funds to pay for private ambulance services. Carrying her ourselves is also not feasible.

In response, we reached out to the community for volunteer nurses to assist with Mom's wound care, and miraculously, the Lord provided them for us!

**WOUND CARE TEAM:**

We are deeply grateful that God sent a wound care specialist and two nurses as volunteers to
assess and care for Mom's wound at our home.

Our family extends heartfelt thanks to these volunteers for their extraordinary kindness and generosity, which surpassed all our expectations.

The Wound Team Volunteers are:

• Sister Elsa Burger from South Coast Wound Care Center
  
  
• Sister Sue Nielson, retired
  
  
• Sister Celeste Pienaar

The result of their consultation is that they are in full agreement with me as well as the previous wound care specialist, the volunteer surgical team who did the house call previously, and Dr Renate Gerritzen - that Mom needs surgical debridement.

In their opinion, Mom does not have gangrene and both her legs have full circulation.  She needs surgical debridement so that her wounds can heal fast.  

If she does not get surgical debridement, the wound team can continue to do debridement wound care at our home, but it could take much much longer for the healing, which is not ideal.  It could take from 6 months to a few years. 

Mom Sheila is already 81 years old this year; it it takes years - then what quality of life would Sheila have?

The wound care team are  looking after Sheila's wounds out of the goodness of their hearts.

2.  They have organised a hospital bed for Mom from Hospice!  Hospice said that we simply need to pay for the delivery - R320 and make a small donation to Hospice.  

We are hoping the bed will arrive tomorrow some time or early next week. 

LOCAL HOSPITAL

Mom Sheila is a known wound care patient of Local Hospital Wound Clinic.  

She has been unable to keep her appointment for regular wound care because over the last month she has grown weaker and weaker to the point where she cannot walk, sit or stand at the moment.  

Her weakened condition along with the wounds  makes it impossible for us to transport her in our vehicle, and Allan and I cannot carry her into the car, carry her out, carry her into the clinic, and home again.  

She is just too heavy, a dead weight, and Allan has a bad back.  He would land up in hospital.  We can't ask anyone else to move her because of the wounds on her body.  Those who move her must have medical expertise with moving patients in her condition.

The only way is via ambulance.

A private ambulance charged us R3000 the last time we used them. Their normal fee is around R3000 one way, but can transport us to Local Hospital at pensioners rates in the future but they will need R1250 each way. That is R2500 return.  

Well, we don't have that type of money, and as it stands today we have almost run out of all our savings now which what we spent on Mom.

The government supplies a free ambulance (the government ambulance), but they will only take her to Clinic 2 Casualty Department .  

They refuse to take her to Local Hospital because her condition is not considered an emergency, and we don't have a referral letter from a Doctor that they will accept.

Apparently they only accept referral letters from Doctors from Clinic 2.

So far, every time we have called the government ambulance they have refused to take us to Local Hospital as it against their procedure.  They take us to Clinic 2 Casualty Department instead.

Clinic 2 Casualty Department treat Mom for pain, for sugar and give her a vitamin B supplement - and various other medications I assume?  all administered via a drip.  They refuse to look at her wound, and they refuse to give a referral letter. They give us long condescending lectures about procedures instead.  Then they send us home again.

This has been going on for the last month.

Eventually God opened a door for us today.

We found out today that if we take Mom to Local Hospital via Private Ambulance on the day of her
appointment, they won't charge us; instead - they will bill the government.  

But if she is not admitted, then we need R1250 to bring her home again.

Local Hospital Wound Clinic gave us a revolving appointment for either Tuesday or Thursday next week.  

We can bring Mom Sheila in for a full assessment just like Sister Burger did, and based on their assessment they will either admit her or send her home.

The sister at Local Hospital Wound Clinic  said it is possible that they might send her home because of her age - if they think she won't survive surgery. But they need to first do the assessment to make a decision.

If they decide to admit her, they may send her home first then give a date in the future for admission.  Or they may admit her the same day.  

If they send her home we will need R1250 to pay the private ambulance.

So right now we are trusting God  for the following provision:

• R1250 for the ambulance
  
  
• R360 for the transport costs of the hospital Bed.

Please pray and stand in agreement that the Lord will supply this soon for us.

Psalm 23:1 ESV 

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

 Let us stand on the above promise that God will supply what Sheila needs.

Thanks!

Christine Livingstone

We need help - if you wish to give a love gift large or small, 

please contact Liz or Caz for our bank details, Or click the How To Help link to find other ways to help.

How To Help / Contact Info / What Happened that Forced me to Start this Cause. 

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