Rob Spends the Night at the Hospital

Last Thursday, Rob apparently had an episode of what the doctors are calling a TIA (transient ischemic attack) or TGA (transient global amnesia).

He did not remember coming to the meeting that was held earlier this morning or the meeting itself.  He was not sure where our supervisor, Rafael, was.  He didn’t know where I was and kept asking me when I happened to call him on his cell phone. 

I had to instruct him on how to go from the parking lot where he was into the building where he had been meeting.  I felt as I was telling him how to get to the office like I was talking to someone who was mentally handicapped and needed to have every detail explained to them.

Another couple, the Ruckers, took me to where he was. With Rafael driving us in our car, we followed Elder  Shaver, our mission doctor, to the hospital.  It’s actually called a clinic because it is private.  The public hospitals which are not good are called hospitals.  

Hospital Dr. Abel  Gonzalez

On the way, I kept asking him memory-type questions.  He knew that something had happened, but he kept asking us what had happened – no short-term memory.  I asked him where we had been last night (at a going away party for some other senior missionaries), and he couldn't remember.  In my questioning, he couldn't remember anything we had done in the last week. 

Then they took him for a CT scan.  By coincidence, Elder Shaver was a radiologist in his former life, so he was able to read the scan.  He said that there were no big masses, and just a spot on the left lobe.  No leaks as well.

Then the neurologist came and checked him out.  The neurologist, apparently, is probably the best in the city according to Rafael.  He had Rob admitted overnight and ordered a carotid artery scan and a heart scan to see if there was debris being kicked off which was going to his brain and clogging things. 

Our room - I slept there as well (Hmm, sort of slept there)

He will also be getting an MRI next week at another facility which has that needed equipment.  He slept pretty well, and his memory was getting better.  However, the five or so hours on Thursday when he was a little lost have not yet returned.

Rob saw the neurologist Friday morning who said that he wanted to monitor him. He couldn't drive for four days, so I had the privilege of driving in Dominican traffic for the first time.  It’s really not that much worse than Atlanta except that no one signals or stays in their lane and there are a thousand little motos running in between everyone.  Actually, it wasn't so bad, and I made it through the next few days. 

He was really tired, and slept a lot on Friday. Of course, I was exhausted, too, partly from the lack of sleep on a little 18” max wide couch in his room that night.  

But he seems to be fine.  We are so grateful for all the prayers that people said and for the Priesthood blessing he received.  It just wasn't fun!  We'll keep you posted.

Humanitarian Projects - Schools

One of the things that we have enjoyed here and haven’t really shared with you is participating in Humanitarian projects.  The Church does all kinds of projects throughout the world, including wheelchairs, water, medical equipment, school equipment, etc.  The projects have to be proposed by a leader in the ward or branch (the names for our Church’s congregations), presented to the Humanitarian Senior Missionary couple, and passed by the Area Presidency before they are approved.  The Church does not build buildings, but they sometimes donate the paint or other materials to help in the building.  In addition, the local congregation also has to do a service project to bless the organization.  We thought that you might enjoy learning about and seeing some of our projects this past year.  This will take more than one blog post, so we have divided them by the kind of receiving organization. This one is on schools.

As Public Affairs missionaries, we are responsible for the coordination of the closing ceremonies where equipment is handed over to the receiving organization, and a local Priesthood leader speaks about the Church’s desire to help others.  Often the organization does something like put on a program if it’s a school.  

Right after we got here, we went to the closing ceremony for Hogar Mercedes de Jesus (Home of the Mercies of Jesus) – that was the orphanage that we went to again the day before Christmas.  The Church had donated computers, fans, a stove, and other equipment.  Although it is an orphanage, it is also a neighborhood school in the daytime with about 100 students who all came to the ceremony. After the speeches, the kids put on a cute program thanking us.  Seven of the kids each said a little speech, and then held up a letter which ended up spelling “gracias.”  Then all of the kids sang a wonderful song about having helping hands towards one another.  It was so great!

The outside of the school - no clue as to the wonderful
things that happen behind these walls.

Here's one of the school classes in their uniforms.  

A group of the girls that we really enjoyed talking with.
 (A couple with glasses like two of our granddaughters).

Here's the Gracias group.

One of the bedrooms in the orphanage.

Another school was Liceo Minerva Mirabel.  Here in the DR, a neighborhood who wants a school has to put together their own resources to acquire a building and start a school after a year or so, and then the government will provide them with equipment, pay the teachers, and recognize it.   This school was amazing because the neighbors found an apartment building to use for the school, and our Church leaders contacted the Humanitarian missionaries.  The Church provided paint which local members and the parents of the school kids put on. They tore out walls, put in electricity.  They graded a large area in front which became a playground after the Church added cement.  The first year, the kids had to bring their own chairs.  But then the Church provided desks which included chairs, blackboards, computers, and water storage.  The school has about 700 students, elementary kids in the morning and high schoolers in the afternoon. 

Here's the outside of this school    

                                                                             

 A view across the street - this is such a poor neighborhood   

Another neighborhood view from the school's roof

This was the courtyard before the work began (Thank you Elder Hammon)

Here are the students sitting in their new desks (Again, thank you EH)

Here we are with director, her husband, the counselor
in the stake presidency and the Hammons

A final one that we want to mention is Reyo del Sol, which is a school for children with Down’s Syndrome.  Again, the Church in that area contacted the school to learn what they needed.  The Church gave them tables, chairs, shelving, cassette player, fans, plastic containers, and some other things.

A group who sang to us.

At the closing ceremony, a number of the kids did dances and songs

 to entertain those in attendance.  

The older students are taught how to roll newspapers and form baskets 

which are then painted or varnished and sold. This is to teach the 

students skills that they can use to support themselves in the future.  

They are so pretty- I would love to take one home.

After we admired a lovely centerpiece that the students had made, 

they insisted that we keep it – it will be one of those things that we’ll take home. 

Those circles are the rolled newspaper, and the angels are made from rolls as well...

Next posting, hospitals and medical clinics…