Open Arms Infant Homes provide vital support to the local systems in Malawi by working in partnership with the local Social Welfare officers to provide temporary care for babies at risk. These are children who are in desperate need or that have no where else to go. Children like Gracious who we met at the end of 2021.
After being born in September he was found abandoned in 'the bush' by women collecting firewood. He was taken to the Police and to the local health centre where he received oxygen. He was in desperate need of food and care and was judged to be only two days old.
There was a shortage of formula milk in the heath centre and the Open Arms team in Mangochi were contacted to help Gracious. The team took on his care while he remained in the health centre and provided the formula milk he needed. It was a 40km trip to the health centre and the team worked hard to make sure Gracious had access to the support he needed.
At five days old Gracious developed black spots on his back and side which concerned the doctors. They considered operating and he was referred to Mangochi Central Hospital for more support. The spots grew in size and he was referred to Queen Elizabeth's Central Hospital in Blantyre with suspected venomous bites.
Sadly he couldn't get the treatment needed and so he was referred again to the paediatric wing of Mercy James Hospital in Blantyre where he was treated. It took him the whole of October to recover. A member of the Open Arms team stayed with him in the hospital for the entirety of his stay acting as a guardian and providing support and care.
Early in November he was discharged and he moved to Open Arms Infant Home in Blantyre so that he could continue to be assessed by the doctors as needed.
After a week he was able to move back to our Mangochi Infant Home which was nearer to where he was found.
While he was getting the treatment he needed the police had worked on his case and his extended family had been identified. More details behind his abandonment were shared with the Open Arms team so they could manage his care and work with his extended family to support his next steps. The team were detailed that his grandparents came to visit with the social worker who is managing his care.
The team report "Gracious’s Grandparents were surprised to see him in such good health after his difficult start and all the worryingly bad reports they had received about his poisonous bites".
His case is a complicated one and the team will work closely with local partners to provide the care needed and foster a strong relationship with Gracious's grandparents. He is safe and well and getting access to the care and support he needs to recover. When he is well enough we look forward to seeing him transition back to his family who the team will support through outreach visits to his village.
The care team at Open Arms Infant Homes work tirelessly caring for children like Gracious so that they can recover and get back home. Life is rarely straightforward but your support means that more orphaned and abandoned children can receive access to the care they need so that they can reach their potential.
Your donation will help children in Malawi grow up healthy with the love of a family
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