Abra
sits quietly as she remembers the 24 years of suffering and great emotional
pain she has known. One day and one event changed the course of her life for
over two decades.
On
that day, many years ago, Abra went into labor. It was her fifth child, and she
had managed all of her previous labors by herself at home. But this time was
different and she was taken to the hospital for a caesarian section. “There was
no hope,” Abra remembers sadly. “Even the doctor lost hope.” The baby died, and
Abra remained in a coma for five days.
When
she awoke, she learned that her husband had decided to leave her. Then, a few
days later, she realized she was incontinent. The condition that Abra suffered
from is known as VVF (vesicovaginal fistula), an injury caused by obstructed
labor, resulting in a continual leakage of urine, feces, or both. It is a
condition that is much too common in developing countries, where women have
little access to medical care.
The
condition exacts a terrible emotional toll, as well. Abra was ostracized by her
family and friends. “Everyone in our
area knows about my sickness,” Abra says quietly with downcast eyes. “All of
them know.”
For a few
years, she was able to stay with some relatives, but when they died, she was on
her own in the bush, secluded from the world.
Abra
says she only got through this time with God’s help. “In those times of
challenges and pain, I spent most of my time in my hidden place, where I
wept.”
Then,
in 2010, Mercy Ships sailed into the port of Lomé, Togo and along with it, hope
arrived for Abra. Soon she received a
free successful surgery, and she felt like a new woman.
Tragically,
a few weeks later, Abra was the victim of a brutal rape that ruined the
surgical repair. She was back in the same nightmare she had experienced for two
decades. “When my sickness came back, I was confused and lost,” Abra explains.
Sadly, the ship had already left, and she had nowhere to turn.
Abra
took refuge with her brother who mistreated her to the point that she became
seriously ill. The pain of her brother’s rebukes and abuse almost destroyed
Abra’s spirit. Finally, she found reprieve with her aunt. “She told me I
smelled like a dead corpse before joining her. But the hands of God are upon
me. Today I am here. I am still alive today,” she says.
Less
than a year later, Abra’s daughter contacted her, telling her the news that
Mercy Ships had returned! “For me, Mercy Ships has been sent from God to me and I
was hopeful. I’m confident God
is with me.”
Now,
Abra has healed from her second surgery and has been accepted back into the
family. “I thank the Lord for the life of the medical team. May the Lord bless
them, strengthen them, and give them long life. They will be blessed. God will
reward them for ever and ever.”
Abra’s
face radiates with happiness as she adds simply, “I have joy in me!”
Abra and other
VVF patients march down the Ward hallway singing for all to hear as they
prepare to depart the Africa Mercy.
