Walking through the
ER at the end of the day, I found this kid laying on the middle bed in a
stretcher. We see lots of folks come in
on homemade stretchers, but this one was the best stretcher I have ever
seen. Usually they are made from bamboo
poles with a market bag or other sack tied between as what holds the
patient. This one had bush rope tied around the handles enabling the boy to be carried in different positions for those carrying him - I am always impressed with
their creativity and ingenuity. 
After my amazement at the stretcher wore off, I started to ask what happened. They were from Tsandiap – far away in the Jimi
Valley, they said that there was a landslide that happened a few days
previously and they had to carry him out.
One person in the group told me they carried him for 1 day to get to the
airstrip to get the plane and someone else in the group said 2 hours. Either way, he was carried for quite a ways
before he got to the airstrip. Rode on a
MAF plane and then made his way to us for care.
Thankfully it was
only his leg that was broken, but it was broken pretty well. It took us a couple of times and a lot of
strong guys pulling to straighten it out again.
Thanks to MAF’s ability to fly
him out of a remote area and our Hospital being open with Doctors and Staff
willing and wanting to serve those who come, we were able to help him and he
should be heading home or at least out of the hospital this week.
