There is a hospital that cares for all the handicapped/mentally ill children and adults in Antigua. It’s considered unacceptable to have someone with a handicapped in one’s home so many are left on the street to fend for themselves.
My friend Jessie spent a summer here a few years ago helping to play with and take care of the children. Jessie encouraged us to get involved at the hospital this last month which is how we got involved in this particular ministry.
It’s hard to put into words what you see arriving at the children’s ward. There are maybe 75 wheel chairs lining the walls many of them filled with children. In their two huge bedrooms, cribs line the walls. Sammy’s crib is lined with cushioning and he wears a helmet all the time because most of the time he spends in his crib bashing his head in to the metal bars.
There is a little boy here who was brought in after being severely abused by his mother. Now he barely talks, barely reacts to anything. It is an awful thing to witness.
There are not enough nurses to adequately care for the individual needs of these children. We try to visit them every day taking them out in their wheelchairs to the park or out to eat.
It’s always hard to say goodbye to them because we know that they will soon be put to bed for the day (usually between noon and 2pm). I know that Jesus loves these precious kids but it makes me sad to see so many children without family to love them.
Meet Sammy! He loves to play “pick up the blanket” and he’ll play it over and over again.
