Ferndale Clinic 9/27/14

Imagine the following…
…You are going on a very short medical missions trip (half a day qualifies for short). Now imagine that you are going to Hawaii or the Seychelles Islands or any other exotic location. Isn’t it easy to imagine that? Well, this past Saturday several of us did not have to imagine. We got to enjoy a magnificent fall day in the Catskills. The fall foliage is currently approaching its peak and we took it all in as we made our way to and from Ferndale.CHCM Team
What made this experience truly amazing, however, was that in less than three hours, the five of us who volunteered (Becky, Charlie, Gloria, Janice and Juan) were able to help nearly a dozen folk.  Our task was to provide them with medical and spiritual attention. To feel their sincere appreciation is something that is that is hard to explain but is easily experienced.
So, earlier in the week, a woman in her late 30s, who only spoke Spanish, had been evaluated and treated for headaches and dizziness at a local federally qualified health care clinic. Unfortunately, the day before we saw her at our clinic, this patient had also been taken by ambulance to the local emergency room (ER) with near syncope (she almost passed out). In the ER all the work-up, including a head CT scan and blood work, was negative. She was released with instructions to take Motrin for the headache and to make arrangements to see a neurologist. Hoping we could help her, she came to our clinic.
During our visit we reviewed her history and the data that had accumulated since her problem began several months ago. We learned of the turmoil she had recently been experiencing in her life. The ten-year relationship with her partner was crumbling. For the past several months it was becoming clear to her that the relationship would inevitably end. For the first time she admitted that the change in her relationship was the source of significant anxiety and great concern for her.  It then dawned on her that there was a correlation between the onset of her symptoms and onset of her life situation—especially since the work-up was negative, so far.
As it was suggested to her at the ER the day before, we concurred that she would benefit from a consultation with a neurologist. The question then was: how do we get this woman, with no medical insurance and insufficient financial resources to enjoy the benefit of a specialist consultation? Do we refer her to the vast for-profit, multispecialty local medical practice where she would be promptly seen but would have to first pay out of pocket, before she was even seen?
We knew that wouldn’t work. Perhaps if we referred her to a local, long-time neurologist colleague, we could convince him to please evaluate her, …for free? 
Thankfully we were able to reach our friend, the neurologist, on a Saturday morning to ask him to see her.  We presented her case to him and he was able to give us an immediate neurologic diagnoses and a treatment plan for this patient.  God provided our need at that moment. 

Before she left us, we asked if we could pray for her. She eagerly accepted it.  We prayed that God would comfort her and heal her.  Her face was filled with tears by the end of the prayer.
As she was leaving, she asked what she owed us for the care we rendered. It was a real joy to tell her that she owed us nothing.
So, we were not in beautiful Hawaii or the Seychelles Islands. There is no way we could go there for just a few hours. We were in the phenomenally beautiful Catskills in the fall. What a glorious day to be in Ferndale!

•    Would you please pray for this woman as well as for the other patients we saw Saturday?
•    Would you pray for Christ Health Care Ministry, that God would make it what He wants it to be and be led by those He wants?
•    Would you pray that God would continue to work on people to volunteer?
•    Please also pray for continued financial support.

We are also so grateful for the Bibles, provided by The Gideons International; we were able to distribute this past Saturday. 
Thank you for reading this and being part of this ministry.