Sadly Motivated

When our heart is heavy and burdened we can seek wisdom
or
choose to wallow in our circumstances.

When we are happy and content we can sing praises

or

chose to ignore where our blessings have come from.

In every situation we chose our response.
To say this has been a hard week is an understatement. I have cried more tears than I know what to do with.
As my tears fall my resolve builds.
In my sadness
I chose to learn.
I chose to grow.
I chose to seek wisdom.

I chose motivation.
Motivated
to become better
to do more
to humble myself
to admit I know nothing
to do something
to ask for help
to fall on my knees.
Sadness and Grief can be powerful
and positive
if you chose.

This week my son has gone from a little "off" to downright "disabled".
We as parents went from slightly concerned to the deepest fear I have ever known.
Our family has gone from a little chaotic in a good way to full blown survival mode.
Our life is being turned upside down.
I will most likely spend the next few months of my life in the car driving 5 hrs round trip a few times a week to help my son, our family.
I am scared.
I am hopeful.
I am excited.
I am sadly motivated.

and in other news this week....
Workinesh died.
Who is Workinesh?
You may remember this graphic post.
Workinesh was a mom. A mom to three kids. A wife to an amazing husband.
She suffered in East Africa for years with a prolapsed uterus until Because Every Mother Matters partner Doma discovered her. I put a plea for help on my blog and within days....
YOU
MY FRIENDS
raised the funds to help her.

Here is the email from Doma explaining what happened

It is with great sadness that I write you today with news of Workinesh’s death. We first encountered her in November when Doma’s first medical team in Ethiopia visited her remote mountain village. It was immediately determined that she needed surgery to correct a prolapsed uterus. She had neither the money to pay for this surgery nor access to a health care facility that could provide this procedure. Her family is poor; and Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, is a 3 hour walk and 11 hour drive away. But we raised the money – and quickly – because of the courage and generosity and compassion of people like you. Workinesh made the journey to Addis. During her stay there, she stayed at Israel’s parents’ house. (Israel hosts Doma’s teams and worked with us to coordinate Workinesh’s medical care.) Workinesh’s family spoke a different dialect than Amharic, the main language of Ethiopia. Israel and his family speak her dialect so they were able to communicate with her and translate for her. The surgery to repair the prolapsed uterus was successful. However, during testing it was discovered that Workinesh had cancer of the vulva in an advanced stage. Israel and the hospital staff were hoping and fighting to find a cure. Israel’s brother even donated blood three times. In the end, however, her disease was too severe, and she died late last week. In her final days, Workinesh expressed her gratitude for the work of Doma. And at her funeral, her husband expressed how thankful he was that her life was prolonged even these few months.

Amber is leaving for Ethiopia in two weeks. She will spend time with Workinesh’s husband and children, caring for them and expressing our grief for their loss. We will also assess their needs and do what we can to provide for them in this difficult time. Amber is also focused on identifying the location for Doma’s first Prenatal and Early Childhood Care Clinic in Ethiopia. Before the situation with Workinesh fully materialized, doma had identified her village as a key location, a remote and poor mountain village. The primary school in this village is only offered through the 3rd grade, and they have only had this school for a couple years. But in this beautiful nation where so many mothers and young children suffer, much can be done to intervene in the lives of women like Workinesh, and prevent further, unnecessary loss of life. Early intervention in Ethiopia keeps mothers and infants alive, which means fewer children orphaned and stronger, healthier families raising children who thrive.

Please join us in this life-saving venture. Please pray for the husband and children Workinesh left behind. Please pray for others like her, mothers and children barely hanging on to life. Please pray for our medical team when they are in Ethiopia in April that they would be strong and serve well. And please consider giving so that a clinic can be established as soon as possible, and women like Workinesh can be cared for.

Thank you,
Julie, Dan, and Amber

Julie Clark, Co-Founder, Executive Director
Dan Clark, Co-Founder, Marketing & Development Director
Amber Kaufman, Medical Coordinator

This my friends is not unlike the story of Gedese....only her ending was different.
I am heart broken for Workinesh's family.
I am heartbroken to the realities that women face in 3rd world countries.
I am heartbroken that 1 in 11 WOMEN IN EAST AFRICA DIES TO A PREGNANCY RELATED CAUSE.

at the same time
I am sadly motivated.
Motivated
to do more
to learn more
to reach outside of my box
to admit I know nothing
I need help.
I am motivated by my tears.
I am motivated by my sadness.