King of D ward

Alphonse was on board for 50 days.  He had his surgery the very first week the hospital was up and running in Congo.  He had a large growth removed from his face, one that covered his eye, most of his cheek and forehead. His healing took a lot of time with some bumps in the road. As many patients came and went out of the ward, he remained. It didn't take long for a family to be formed. Every morning he would walk around and greet all the nurses with a strong paternal hug. To ward off cabin fever, which infects our patients who spend almost all their lives outside in fresh air, more than any other infection, we try to come up with fun crafts and activities.  We play many games of Uno, and Jenga, create paper chains with colorful construction paper, and fly paper airplanes to pass the time. One night, a crown was made from blue construction paper and colorful IV med caps for jewels, Alphonse became the king of D-Ward. It was incredible to see Alphonse begin to heal, a wound that looked so angry and agitated became new skin over time. On the 50th day of his stay, he was discharged to the HOPE center, the Hospital Outpatient Extension Center, where patients graduate when they no longer need as the same acuity of care. We send patients who still need daily dressing changes, or who live out of Pointe Noire, here. Soon, he will have a second surgery to build a new eye lid and then he will get to go home to his beautiful family. A wife, a son and a daughter. It was a gift to see his joy as they would come in the evenings to visit him. We got to know him in such a special way throughout his 50 days.