REUBEN

Reuben passed away this morning, but at least not in the streets, but rather in a warm and loving situation with the best care possible from devoted nurses. He was found a few months ago by our local priest lying on a shop veranda here in town pleading for someone to help him and not let him die there like an animal. He was spending cold nights there on the cement where the air temperature goes down towards the freezing point. He was only in his early 20s, but his feet and ankles were extensive open decaying wounds. He had no known relatives and no friends to help him except for a few good samaritan sympathisers who collected some coins to help towards sending him to a hospital and a few "duka" owners who would give him some tea or "githere" (a mixture of maize and beans) that was left after their day's customers were finished. To help out we rented him a room to come home to and got him a bed, foam mattress, some blankets and towels, some food and other simple needs. However he couldn't stay in this new "home" long as after some initial treatment, his condition only continued to worsen. We then had him admitted at the nearby town's Cottage Hospital, known for its good diagnosis and treatment. After further treatment of the wounds, they started to heal, but the swelling just wouldn't go down.
It was determined there that he needed a heart scan as a heart problem seemed to be compounding his wound problems. He needed an ambulance to take him down to a hospital in the capital Nairobi as he was now on oxygen. It took quite some doing to set up for one to carry him and to get a nurse to accompany him. The results were discouraging as it showed a very enlarged heart. After some more weeks of treatment at Cottage Hospital, we took him over to the nearby Huruma Center, a hospice run by the Felician Sisters. There he was given the best care possible but we knew it was only palliative as there was nothing more could be done short of a heart-lung transplant. We tried to cheer his last days with visits and treats of bread and juice whenever Maina or Rose or I would go to visit. He passed away a few hours ago today January 3rd, 2010. At least he died with dignity and surrounded by helping and caring hands. We have arranged for him to be taken to the town mortuary today and tomorrow will buy a coffin and a grave and arrange for a proper burial service. He was abandoned in life but was not abandoned in death. May he rest in peace.