Other than a small outbreak of flu and strep throat, we’ve not had much in the way of major new medical cases these past two weeks, other than one of the preemies we helped having breathing issues. There’s been a lot of changes with some existing needs that we’ve already posted about though. Some news is good, some news is more challenging. One of the quad babies is in very serious condition right now in the NICU!

New Medical Needs To Pray For

One the babies born in the past couple months developed respiratory troubles severe enough we had to take him into the ER. He was was born 4 weeks early, making him much more likely to contract respiratory illnesses during the winter. We were able to take him for a more intensive followup with a pediatrician this week. Thankfully, he only has a cold and nothing more serious yet, but pray for his weak little immune system to survive the winter!

Specific Ongoing Cases To Pray For

One of the two quadruplets that was sent home had to be readmitted to the hospital. She was having trouble breathing, and her skin developed a yellowish tint. She had to receive a blood transfusion upon admittance and is now receiving oxygen, but needs a respirator. Unfortunately, this hospital was currently maxed out on the number of available infant respirators when she came in, and she had to wait a long time to be put on one! The doctor also reported she has an enlarged heart for unknown reasons, and they need to do a further cardiac workup. Pray for this little baby girl!

Regarding the other three quad babies, one of brothers is almost up to his needed weight! He is doing well so should be able to go home sometime this week. The other boy is still in the hospital having respiratory problems. As of this update, 3 out 4 of the quads are still in NICU.

The man with the large tumor in his jaw was able to have his surgery last week Friday. We thank the Lord for the provision to be able to help him with this, and thank some of you reading this who chose to help him in his time of need. We are thankful for this because the possibility of it being cancerous was never ruled out.

After the surgery, the surgeon reported that he had to go deep into the side of his face to remove the whole tumor. They had to take skin from his arm and graft it back on to his face! He has a neck brace on to keep the stitches in place, and he is now at home recovering. He will return the doctor this week for a follow up appointment and to have his bandages changed. Pray this man recovers well and that there wouldn’t be a reoccurrence of the tumor. Pray the compassion shown to him by the Christians here would make him open to the Gospel even more!

The young girl with severe anemia due to thalassemia will undergo another blood transfusion this week. She also needs complex blood work to confirm she has thalassemia for the UN. This is important information for the UN to have on record as it means they can begin the process of relocation for her and her family. This isn’t a guarantee she will be relocated but it is the first step. Continue praying that the UN will be able to relocate her and her family so she can get the bone marrow transplant she needs before it is too late!

The middle-aged father with the very large veins in his legs now has a diagnoses and a treatment option for his condition. He was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis as we suspected. Pray that we will be able to help him with this complicated surgery they are calling for. It is well beyond what his family can afford, and he is constantly in pain while we wait to help him!

Thanks For Praying!

Continue to pray for the little ones born recently. With winter comes a lot of respiratory infections that these premature babies are exposed to. And they are at a higher risk for contracting infections due to their immature immune systems.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read these updates. Thanks to those who commit to pray or are moved to support as they are able to!

Thank you again for your prayers and support. This is a work bigger than any of us, but not bigger then God or His church! If you wish to be involved in any way, you can support TGI via our site, sign up for our relief updates e-mail newsletter to better know how to pray, or contact us if you are interested in knowing more about how to be personally involved.