A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

Betty with a smile despite her health situation.  Stanley (right) is standing next to her as the donated blood is infused.

BLOOD IS THICKER THEN WATER

We've all heard this phrase in life.

Life giving blood is the coagulation of family in times of need.

Before we continue, I want to explain about the young man in this story.

The hero of the story is Stanley Watinga, a young man I met on FB. 

I was attracted to a post he shared last December about an Old Couple and their enduring and endearing Love Affair with their beat up lapun old Toyota landcruiser.

The values he learned from the Old Couple should be the foundation for true love and peace of mind for mankind everywhere.

In the story that follows, Stanley, a young man with an adventurous streak, just happened to walk  into Port Moresby General Hospital in Papua New Guinea.

Until yesterday, Stan had never heard about the blood disease Leukaemia.

It took the real life affliction of a sister from his old church to make him understand the heartbreak of Leukaemia. 

The following is his experience. 

Sometimes Money cannot save life but donated Blood can.

By Stanley Watinga 

As I was walking down the corridor in the hospital to visit a family member a weak but determined voice whispered my name  - Stanley.

Confused I turned to see who the person was. To my amazement I saw this weak lady sleeping flat on her sick bed. 

At first glimpse I thought that I may have heard my name wrong because I could not recognize her. 

I wanted to go on when she called again this time with my surname. By then I knew she may have known me personally so I made my way to her bed. 

Because she realized that I was confused she smiled and identified herself to me. 

She is Betty Pok from Jiwaka and was a youth at Morata Church of the Nazarene where we both were members of some 10+ years ago. I then embraced her and asked her about her illness.

Stanley Watinga donating life saving blood. Be a blood donor today and save a life, he says.

This is her story.. 

Betty, who is a house wife around the same age as I am, is married and has several children. 

She was first admitted at Kudjip Nazarene Hospital in Jiwaka province with blood disorder. 

She was later referred to Pom Gen for further testing. With her faithful husband by her side they paid more than a grand for tests which were done in Australia. 

When the results came back she was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML). 

In other words she has cancer in her bone marrow (factory of blood). 

This causes her spleen to go big, bone marrow to produce abnormal blood cells which results in anaemia (blood shortage) and ever increasing white blood cells which destroys the body. 

Because of this illness she has lost her appetite, her bones became painful and brittle and she has no strength to move around. 

Due to this abnormal condition, her blood is of no use to her anymore. She is now in desperate need for blood donation.

Moved by her story, I shed some tears as i reached for my wallet. 

Upon seeing me putting my hand to my pocket she painfully grabbed my arm and said: "Stan, money bai no inap baim laip blo me. me needim blood".  (Stan, money won't buy me life, I need blood).

When I heard that I knew how desperate she was for blood. It really touched my heart. It really sadden me.

I thought of my mother and my sisters. Tears of sadness rolled down my eyes. I thought of our days in the church. 

We were in the youth, participated in Bible activities, sing and praise the Lord. 

As per her request I donated from my veins and with love from my heart for my dear sister so she can get well.

The good book says that the good Lord also moves in mysterious ways. I went there not knowing that I would meet a sister in need.

And I hope and pray that my sister will be healed.

Stanley said that we live our lives outside and we really don't know what goes on in the hospital. 

Please I appeal to my fellow Papua New Guineans and Pacific islanderswherever you are right now. Uphold those who are in need in prayer. 

Have a heart for your neighbors in their time of need, he said. The Holy Bible Commands us to Love our Neighbors. 

Visit the hospitals and share with the sick there. Say hello, shake hands, a hug or a smile, a word of encouragement to lift their spirits.

Please I make a special appeal, think of people like Betty, donate a pint of blood. It will save a life.

FOOTNOTE

It is with great sadness that we note that Betty passed away last month from chronic Leukaemia.