Comfort Dolls

Here are some photographs from some recent visits with our Home Based Care team at Good Shepherd Hospital. We visit 22 different communities on a rotating basis, we try to visit each community once a month. Most of the care we provide is for patients with HIV/AIDS, TB and
some other chronic diseases for the homebound patient. The dolls were donated through St. Philips Church in New Hope, PA.




This is a young boy in the community adjacent to the hospital who has had this rash for most of his short life. We had him come to GSH clinic and he received antibiotics and steroids and the rash has much improved.


















A young girl we met when making home visits in January. Her mother is on ARV's.



















Another child from one of the homesteads. Her mother is a patient who is on ARV's (anti-retrovirals).

















Again children from a rural home visit. Their mother has TB and HIV/AIDS.
















Now there are many poor people that we visit daily but this particular family is one of the very poorest. The mother has active pulmonary TB and HIV, she is not on ARV's yet, she must complete this course of TB medication first.












Child from above photo.

















This is Siphesihle with her younger brother, she is the one on the right. Siphesihle and her brother are all dressed up to come to the ARV clinic at GSH to be reassessed for ARV's. Her liver function tests are quite poor so she is not able to start taking ARV's. I did not recognize her because she looked so different from when I saw her at her homestead. The Swazi people take great pride in their appearance so when they come to clinic they wear their very best clothing.

Again, child from above photo, I did not realize that I had included him already.

David with family on a homestead about 30 km from Good Shepherd Hospital.

A gogo with her orphaned grand daughter, the gogo is our patient and on ARV's.

Siphesihle on the road near her homestead, this photo taken during a home visit, she is still unable to start her ARV's yet.

I want to thank the women at St. Philips Episcopal Church in New Hope, PA and others in the area, including Christian Winslow, for the Duduza Dolls that you have sent to us here in Swaziland. The time, effort and love that you put into making the dolls and shipping them to us is very much appreciated. The children have really loved receiving them. Many of these children that we visit daily on their homesteads here in Siteki rarely, if ever, get a gift of any kind let alone a handmade doll from America. David and I have distributed the dolls to both the girls and boys, orphans, children of patients and patients themselves. I hope that you enjoy the photos, included is any specific information that I can recall regarding the specific child or patient.

Much Love,

Scott