Medicine for the poor

I have been spending time helping a friend get access to medical help.  Medicine is available to the poor, and good medicine, but it comes at the cost of long queues and very, very lengthy waiting hours, as well as long trips from Khayalitsha to Parrow. 






During the hours that I have been sitting with our friend I have seen patience in action.  It is very salutary to sit in queues for four hours, and I have been deeply moved by experiencing what it's like to be poor up close and personally, even if still only by proxy.  Our friend has been in a lot of pain, but she has been consistently loving to those around her.  She was in a ward for a few days because the cancer had eaten through three ribs, but she seemed to be the source of strength for the two young women with her - one with advanced AIDS symptoms, and one who had just had a stroke.

Our friend has turned out to be suffering from multiple myeloma, and is now, after a shuttling backwards and forwards for two months, in a chemo treatment programme.  We are praying for her full recovery - it would be great if you could join us