While in Kenya this January, one of Rhonda’s main roles was to complete physical assessments for the 100 children who live at First Love’s Children Home in Karen. On one of the last days of assessments, Rhonda met an 11-year old girl named Francisca. Rhonda had never seen or treated a patient with Sickle Cell in the US or abroad, but God quickened her heart to ask Francisca, “Do you have Sickle Cell?” Francisca, looked surprised and replied, “yes!” As Rhonda preformed her check-up it was discovered that she had a fever, enlarged liver and spleen, which are signs of Sickle Cell Crisis. Rhonda and the head house mamma took Francisca to a hospital in town, it was confirmed that she was indeed in severe crisis . (Francisca, who is energetic and outgoing had actually been hiding her condition from her care-givers so she wouldn’t miss school.) Blood work revealed a dangerously low red-blood count. The treatment needed was a transfusion of up to FOUR UNITS of blood, of which the hospital had NONE of her type available. She was sent home and told to come back when she had donors lined up.
That evening Francisca's "brothers and sisters" learned she needed to have a blood transfusion, and many of them asked if they could give their blood to her. They all began Saturday morning meeting at the van that was going to the hospital. When everyone finished showing up there were about 25 that wanted to go get tested to see if they were a possible match. In the end we took 13 of the older kids. Through the screening process, only five of us were allowed to be tested - Larry, three of the 16 year old boys and a relative of Irene, one of the house moms. We gave our samples and waited to hear from the doctor. Once we spoke with the doctor, she disqualified ALL BUT FOUR from even being tested for their blood type and still no additional units of her type available in the hospital.
When we got back to the children’s home and were packing to return to the States, we got word that ALL four who were left at the hospital to be tested were matches and were successful at giving usable units of compatible blood. (Only God could have orchestrated that!) Francisca was able to begin the three day process of receiving the transfusion.
She is back home now, feeling better and back in school. More importantly, because her condition was stabilized she is now able to start a medication to help prevent futures crisis events.
Needing a crucial blood transfusion to treat her Sickle Cell Anemia, Francesca was sent home from the hospital because there was no A+ blood available.
