Things that three year olds shouldn't know

27 Jan 2013

Three year olds should not know what starvation feels like. Three year olds should not know how it feels to sleep on the streets. Three year olds should not know how to sift through garbage in a dump site. Three year olds should not know what scabies is. Three year olds should not know what it means to be raped or murdered.

There are certain things in this world that we have a responsibility for, one such thing is children. Last night, on an outreach to a community living at the margins of society (a.k.a. living in poverty) we learned of some truly tragic situations. A three year old had been raped. A three year old had been murdered. We did as much as we could for the families involved and gave what seemed like futile condolences. With heavy hearts we continued to walk through the streets this community calls home and found another three year old. This situation was a three year old girl living with scabies - she was covered from head to foot. Her grandmother, who tries to care for her, wasat a loss on what to do, so the child has just lived with this. We aren’t even sure how long these rashes have tormented this poor child.

After providing them with some basic salve and ointment, which was all we had with us, we left the area and Hilary and I decided that we needed to do something more. We called friends who run an orphanage to look into the rape situation, as the child was under the care of the Social Welfare Department. We knew that we could also help the little one with the rash, so we returned to the area Saturday afternoon and walked to where this grandmother told us she lived. We found a small community of makeshift shelters - pieces of trash, tires and cardboard held together by hopes, ropes and prayers.

One of our Glory Reborn team members was with us and we talked with the neighbors as our grandmother and three year old were not there. We learned that she would be back later, so we left for a meeting we had to attend, and our team member, Katrina, vowed to return later with more of the team to find this grandmother and bring them to the clinic where we could treat the child.

Our team returned later, and the grandmother agreed to go to the clinic. Katrina immediately fell in love with the child and despite the rash, she carried the little one back to the car. Our team at the clinic responded in their usual amazing way and sprung into action - they found clothes and toys for her and began to prepare the treatment. Hilary and I stopped by the grocery and department store to pick up food and supplies to care for her with. We knew that due to the severity of the rash, the treatment will take time, so we asked if the grandmother would leave the child with us until Monday. This way we could get her treatment started and keep her out of the environment in which she contracted this. The grandmother agreed and just as she was leaving the clinic, a woman in labor walked into the clinic. Hilary glanced at me, a glance I have seen before and have come to love, the “You have to do something about this now, David” glance. I said, “Lets take her to the house, she can stay with us.”

For the past 24 hours, I have been blessed to know and care for a marvelous three year old. A three year old, who at the onset did not say a word, yet while in the car ride home, she opened her arms for me to hold her when Hilary was getting out. She screams when we bathe her from the pain of her rash and we do our best to comfort her. Today, on a short walk, we held her hands, and when I let go, she kept her hand extended just waiting for mine to return. She still has not said much, though there was a little singing. Today, as I walked in, she smiled. It melted my heart and I realized that I have so much to be thankful for.

There are things three year olds should not know or have to live through. It is our responsibility to care for them and to do something to change that. We each have the capacity to do that.