Imagine if your whole life you were never able to talk, yet you could hear and understand what others were saying to you. Imagine that despite not talking, you were loved and cared for by many. Imagine one day all of a sudden being able to talk – what would you say?
Brenda is 12 yrs old and until recently was unable to talk. She is loved by many, especially her mother, who has looked after her and cared for her as only mother’s can do. Her mother’s love brought Brenda to Kudjip Nazarene Hospital because she was concerned about a lump on her back. Her mom had already accepted that Brenda was shorter than other kids and was unable to talk, but wanted to know if we could do something about her back.
When she walked to my room the smile she had was infectious and overflowed to me as I watched this little girl hold her mothers hand and together take small steps as they walked into my room. Her mom shared her concerns about her back, and then I asked questions about her development trying to figure out why she was so small and couldn’t talk. The whole time Brenda is smiling and holding onto my legs and hugging me. As I consulted with other doctors and got some blood work, we discovered that her thyroid gland hasn’t been working properly and possibly this has been going on her whole life.
6 wks ago, I started her on some medicine to help her thyroid. Mom couldn’t contain her smile when they came back and she told me that Brenda can now say “mama.” I couldn’t contain mine either, as we praised God that He had made Brenda able to speak. Mom says, she babbles all the time and says a lot of things that they can’t understand. Only God knows how much Brenda will be able to say after 12 yrs of silence. I pray that the medicine will continue to help her to talk and to grow, but that it doesn’t change the love that she gives so freely.
Is 35:5-6 “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer and the mute tongue shout for joy.”
