Dreams Do Come True

Our visit to Kráľovský Chlmec Hospital revealed a very old building with skilled nurses caring for patients using out-dated instruments, exhausted, and worn out equipment.

The head nurse supervisor requested instruments to monitor patient vitals such as finger pulse oximeter, infusion pump, monitor, and inhaler.

Other equipment used after surgery includes wheelchairs, portable toilet chair, walking aids, and a patient body lift.

This non-profit hospital is located near the Ukraine border and serves patients from sixty kilometer radius. Last year, the hospital treated 63,989 patients. 

The flooring in the patient rooms are damaged, torn up, and worn from heavy traffic and moving equipment from room to room. The exterior condition is in great need of repair. 

The hospital staff relied on the same medical equipment since "the war."

Many pieces were very old, outdated with visible rust, wrapped in ace bandages, or held together with duct tape. A patient "walker" was taped together to keep it functioning. Head nurse Marta, advised they have nurses trying to move surgery patients out of bed by hand, causing back injuries, and they requested an hydraulic body lift.

Marta joked about a hand bell as the most valuable tool she has. She rings it when she needs nurses to respond urgently to a patients room.

LDS Charities provided fifty pieces of medical instruments or equipment to be used by the nurses and patients. Once the items were released for use, we observed patients eager to utilize them.

A man with one leg was excited to to move into a new wheelchair, and a woman used a walker to move unassisted down the hallway.

The doctor and nurses were very grateful for the donated items as they watched the patients quickly asking to use them. They stated it was a dream come true receiving these much needed items.

ADRA is a partner organization with this project. They will continue in this effort to find more help for the hospital. The chief Hospital MD was so grateful for the items, he desired to write a thank you letter to all those who donate funds for LDS Charities.

Hygiene Kits for Roma

Slovakia has among the highest concentration of Roma settlements(gypies) in the world.

It is believed the health and conditions among the Roma are poorer than the majority population of Slovakia. LDS Charities is finding ways to work with non-governmental organizations (NGO) that help the Roma ghettos. 

We visit several Roma villages where poverty is rampant and unemployment is dismal.

How to manage a project that requires service and self-reliance is a challenge. We met with the mayor of one such Roma village and with an organization that works with six of these villages. The majority of Roma residents are children under 16-years old. 

Amid growing concerns is how to educate and improve the lifestyle of Roma. The high risk of spreading infectious diseases, and facing the many health problems due to extremely high prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, high consumption of animal fats, and low consumption of fruits and vegetables. 

Their poor health status consists of long-term bad economic situation, low education, and incorrect lifestyle.

Social workers of these NGOs teach "prevention activities" to the children at the local community center.

Hygiene classes involve using toilets, washing hands with soap, and other cleanliness habits to avoid spreading diseases. They also teach basic health practices like eating healthy fruits and vegetables and avoiding tobacco and alcohol.

The small community center has two small toilets and sink.

They also have a classroom where they teach basics as well as learning activities. Many children live in shanties or ghettos without running water, toilets, or working plumbing. Many parents are unaware of hygiene practices themselves. We were told children and adults go to the bathroom outside in the bushes and never wash hands. Frequent sickness and illness occurs due to filth and uncleanliness. 

During the winter, the center can reach more children as they escape the freezing temperatures in their homes. This is the time where more children are helped with schoolwork and health and sanitation classes.

We have been asked to provide hygiene supplies to those willing to change their daily habits. We will be purchasing, collecting, and assembling hygiene kits containing soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a few other items. Kids who regularly attend classes and strive to improve their health will receive a personal hygiene kit. The young single adults will be involved in putting together the kits during an upcoming conference. 

Mother's Day Memories

What is your best Mother's Day memory? For me, a visit from two daughters is priceless. I'm building memories with family this week.

The second of May is dedicated to mothers ... even here in Slovakia.

My sister Audrey, her daughter Becky, and my two daughters Caryn and Deidra flew to Europe to spend some much needed time together. 

Our time together started on a train from Budapest, Hungary to Prešov, Slovakia. Greg and I joined them for the last leg, Košice to Prešov. We arrived around 11:30 p.m.

Our European journeys began climbing Spišsy hrad. 

Beautiful views of green landscape and villages awaits you at the top. 

A very quaint village called Spišské Podhradie sits at the base of the castle. 

                              Cathie, Caryn, and Deidra continued their mother-daughter week. Showing off the Slovak cuisine in a Prešov cellar restaurant. 

We rode the train to Košice. 

Daughter: "Mom, why do we have to ride the train? Why can't you drive us?" 

Me: "Because it's the European way."

The evening ended with rushing out to the Prešov square for this photo.

If we drove ... we would have missed this opportunity ...

Mom: "How fun!"

Our OS train ride to catch the night train to Prague. 

Out of all the daughters in the world ... I'm glad you are mine. 

Posing at the famous Charles Bridge, with Prague Castle in the background.

These daughters did not complained about the walking. We took the Metro subway (underground)to Old Town Square and walked to the mission home up a gradual long hill,

past all the touristy sites.

St. Vitus cathedral is one of the most visited sites in Prague. The line to enter was "a mile long" and it probably was

literally.

We arrived to the top of the hill in a beautiful park near our mission home.

Daughter: "Mom, I can't believe how beautiful it is here. I had no idea."

Mom: "I know right!"

I have a lot of photos to make up for in the last few months, so I hope you don't mind all the smiling faces of my daughters that follow.

We found "The John Lennon wall" 

Years ago, it was covered in Beatles lyrics, today a political statement wall.

Prague is one of the top 10 cities to visit in Europe. Also known as "the Jewel of Europe." The sidewalks were packed with tourists. 

So many choices and not enough time. 

Mom: "Choose only one"

Daughter: "But mom, I can't decide."

Mom: "There will more. Trust Me."

There will be lots of cobblestone sidewalks. 

So much history, tours, museums, concerts, sites, food, drinks, chocolate,  desserts, souvenirs ... not enough time.  

The Strahov Library has long barrel rooms with fresco style paintings on ceilings. 






Of course, the lunch was amazing, something pork with puree sweet potato and iced raspberry lemonade. 

One of the best ways to see Prague is the boat cruise tour. Delightful views, cold lemonade, and frozen ice cream were all included.   

What would Prague be like without ice cream trdelnik drizzled with chocolate syrup and whipped cream? I don't know either? It hasn't happened yet.

A sad day for sure, saying goodbye to Deidra and Caryn at the Prague Airport, but it was Mother's Day for sure. The time spent making memories was priceless. Thank you Deidra and Caryn for leaving your husband and children to come visit us in Europe. It was the BEST Mother's Day gift EVER!

Service Self-Reliance and Sustainability

In a Roma village of about 900, the residents are striving to become self-reliant and sustainable.

In the rolling rural area of Eastern Slovakia, this village has seen new homes built by the Roma families. Sixteen homes have been built with sixteen more under construction.

The village mayor will donate land for the Roma families to build a new home if they save €2000. An NGO will loan them €8000 and with the €10,000, all the materials to build a brick home are purchased.

The NGO provides a foreman to insure the house is built by code, but the family and friends must provide all the manpower to construct the house. The Roma family also must attend classes on building construction and finances.

The village provides a small plot of land to the family to build and own their home. One big problem - No running water.

Each of the hundreds of families walk down to a community water station. They fill plastic buckets as their only source of water for cleaning, laundry, cooking, and bathing. The mayor requested help with an LDS Charities water project to provide clean water to the residents.

During a meeting with our water specialist Errol Merkley, the village needed to accomplish certain steps. The mayor did follow through and the project was tentatively approved in March 2018.

A well has just been dug on the upper hillside, but there is much more work to be done to provide clean water to the villagers. Roma families may need to dig trenches to connect water to their homes.

This project truly involves service, self-reliance, and sustainability.