Help 175 Malawian Children become Seizure Free

Imagine you are a grandmother of a now adult child with Epilepsy.  For years you traveled several hours each way every month to get to a clinic that can provide your child with the medicine she needs, walking because you do not have the money to use public transportation.  After so many years of going to the clinic you become tired.  While on the medication the adult child no longer has any seizures.  So you wonder do you really need to keep going there...

This is the true story of one of our clients and her mother.  Elita started attending our clinic as a teenager.  She is now an adult with 3 children of her own.  Due to her seizure disorder she cannot travel to the clinic on her own in case she has a seizure while far from home. So the burden of care falls on her mom.  Her mom is now older and has a heart condition.  Life has become more difficult so in November 2020 she stopped making the journey to our Epilepsy Clinic to get the medications for Elita.  Not one of Elita's siblings were willing to make the journey for her.  So she stopped taking the medicine.

Initially Elita was doing well.  She was not having any seizures.  Then last month out of the blue the seizures returned.  Every week she has one seizure where she loses counciousness and if no one is there to help her she will fall to the ground.  Fortunately so far the seizures do not last long.

Again none of her siblings were willing to help so once again her mom made the journey to our centre to get the much needed medication.  So mom left home before the sun rose and arrived at our centre just as we opened.  There was no food at home either so she walked here on an empty stomach.  After giving the mom a 2 month supply of medication we sent her home but first we made sure she had a nutritious meal.

Fortunately one of our Outreach Clinics is closer to her home than the Centre so next time she can at least make the shorter journey there to get the medication.

There is so much we take for granted in Canada and the United States.  Our health care, social security, transportation......  It is good to be reminded of how it is for the many people living in circumstances so different than our own.

With your help we are able to make a difference in the lives of so many children and adults with Epilepsy, like Elita, here in Malawi.  Because of your support there was medication available for Elita when her mom arrived at our Centre! Thanks so much!!