Zoolkoski

May 4, 2010

Dear Family & Friends,

Working in the middle of the night is not so bad when you get to walk home in a desert rainstorm. Around midnight last night, I was called to the ER to help stop the bleeding of a man who had a deep cut to his wrist from a sheet of aluminum roofing material. We took him to the OR and achieved good control of the bleeding. We washed out the wound generously and inspected it. Amazingly, no tendons were cut. It is gratifying to work at the only hospital within 150 miles where there is predictably an OR crew that will get here quickly at any hour of the night to help the people who come here in need.

As we were working on the man’s wrist, we heard earth-shaking cracks of thunder and could see bolts of lightening shooting across the sky through the small window in the OR. The electricity went out but with a push of a button we fired up the generator installed several years ago by my brother-in-law, John Coster, and our teammate from New Zealand, Wayne Dawson. When we finished the case, I walked home in the dark through rain that saturated one’s clothes almost immediately. Steam was rising from the hot, parched ground and the 95 degree F. evening temperature had dropped by about 15 degrees. This is early for the 2nd storm of the year. Some farmers are taking the risk to sow their millet crops this week with the newly moistened ground in hopes that we will have some sustaining rains to follow. Niger needs a good harvest this year. Last year was very disappointing and we are seeing the needs resulting from the inadequate rainfall. There is an article in today’s New York Times describing the food situation as it relates to last year’s harvest and the new changes in government: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/world/africa/04niger.html

Anticipating the food needs, SIM and Galmi Hospital have been managing and supporting grain banks locally and in other needy places in Niger. Our center for the rehabilitation of malnourished children continues as a source of assistance to the little ones who come with their mothers.

This month we are thankful for an adequate number of doctors and surgeons. We wish it were always like this! For the next several weeks we will be able to work at a pace that is not overwhelming for any one of us and still be able to meet most of the needs that come in the door. Thank you Drs. Cummings, Dr. Rambo, Dr. Englehardt, Dr. Barker, Dr. Francis, and Dr. Vidger! Please come back again!

Gratefully serving with you,
Christopher & Nancy Zoolkoski

christopher.zoolkoski@sim.org
nancy.zoolkoski@sim.org
www.galmi.org