William H.A. “Billy” Willbond MSM, CD
Mollie Colson (above) and Billy Willbond (below) with Baby Faith.
Little baby FaithCONTINENT OF SAD FACES
A Continent of sad; a place of glad
A Country of good and a land of bad
The orphan’s Mom died; Mollie and Billy cried
A wee scrap of a child with beautiful big brown eyes
In the next crib to Faith’s suddenly died.
Faith smiled and shook her wee rattle at us
Whilst the parents of the other child, wailed and cried.
Gulf Islands ICROSS CANADA Director, humanitarian, major supporter and major donor, Mollie Colson accompanied this writer to Malawi last week. Heading for the Infant Crisis Centre Monday last (March 12, 2007), we went into the ABC (African Bible College) sick children’s ward by mistake.
A wee girl named Faith by the nurses was recovering and responding to treatment for TB. In the next room her Mother lay breathing a terrible death bed rattle. Mollie had purchased diapers, soap, disinfectant, and baby bottles so she left them there, but the baby was dressed in “rags”. Promising to come back the next day, we left and went shopping in down town Lilongwe where a baby rattle and clothes were purchased for Baby Faith.
We re-attended on Tuesday and found out the Mom had died after we left, the dad had died last week. Wee Faith smiled and Mollie tried on the wee outfits on her and I took photos. Mollie looked into the next crib in an alcove where a small child stared at her with big eyes, smiled, closed her eyes and died.
Photo op guy, me, was sitting Faith up with her rattle and Izzy Comfort Doll, Mollie returned eyes gushing tears. Then the Nurse brought the family women into the ward and the shrieks of grief filled the air. Through it all Faith smiled, Mollie cried and Billy snapped photos until tears clouded the view finder.
We went to the Infant Crisis centre where “orphan Faith” will be housed once recovering from TB and dropped off laundry soap, candies and comfort dolls, disinfectant and wash clothes, diapers, pins, bibs, baby bottles etc., for orphans.
©Copyright March 17, 2007 by Billy Willbond