By Natasha | Communications & Events Officer
Today is a very special day for Ruli, it is his birthday.
Rachel House nurses have been busy preparing for this special day; a birthday cake has been especially ordered, along with his favourite food. Even in the midst of this incredibly challenging year, our nurses are determined to create happy memories for Ruli on his special day.
Life has not been easy for this 12-year old. His mother died when he was just 2. Growing up, his grandmother had been the pillar of security for him, and his sole source of loving tenderness. Sadly, she passed away suddenly a few days after his birthday last year.
Ruli was left under the care of his aunties after the death of his grandmother. They are busy with their young family, and Ruli knows he is not welcome there. Whenever he is sick, everyone argues about who will take him to the hospital.
Slowly, Ruli stopped taking his medications; even as our nurses begged and cajoled him. Ruli lives with an immunity-compromised condition where he is susceptible to various infections. Non-adherence to medicine makes him vulnerable to infections and slow the healing process.
On the day of his birthday, a picture of a beautiful woman carrying a little boy with a beaming smile was on the face of the cake. Ruli had sent the only picture he has of his mother to our nurses and asked if we could have a cake made of this. Our wonderful cake artist, Tiar, was only too happy to accomodate this request.
When the cake was unboxed, Ruli was overjoyed and was smiling from ear to ear. The first smile our nurses have seen from Ruli since the death of his grandmother. What a gift to be able to bring a spot of sunshine and a slice of happiness to this boy’s life.
While the path ahead may continue to be rocky for Ruli, and his lung infection and breathlessness may continue to plague him, our nurses have assured him that we will always be around to take care of him. This is our commitment at Rachel House, the vision that no child should ever have to live or die in pain – and that includes emotional pain.
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