Categories: Newsletter

by Home of the Open Heart

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Categories: Newsletter

by Home of the Open Heart

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With great sadness and heavy hearts we write to let you know that Nafuu passed away early Monday morning. Her health has been declining slowly the past few months, and trips to the hospital to ascertain a cause for her ill health were unable to provide us with an answer. Her most recent visit to the hospital was this past week, when they determined that she had tuberculosis. She was admitted to the hospital to undergo treatment. Unfortunately, the diagnosis came too late.

Nafuu was the first single mum who came to live in our first ever cottage that was built here in our ministry. I still remember the day that we brought her home to live with us. She had just given birth to her daughter, Yanee, a few days prior. She was very reserved and found it difficult to trust us. This was very understandable, considering she had spent the majority of her life up until that day living on the streets. Over the years, she slowly came to trust us and realise that she was a part of our family. Her smile brightened our lives. She was a very hard worker, constantly moving about, raking leaves and working in the gardens. It is hard to believe that 10 years have passed since she first came to be with us.

We had been attempting to get her into a program at the hospital that would provide her with her ARV medications to help combat the effects of the HIV virus on her body. There was a waiting period, which was up this past Thursday. It was at that time that she was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with tuberculosis. Yanee came to stay in our house while her mum was in hospital. Usually they are together in their little cottage on our property. We were shocked to receive the news that she had passed away at 3am on Monday morning. Nafuu was a strong woman and we had seen her life change in so many positive ways over the years she was with us. She was always grateful, cooperative and such a blessing to us in many ways as she lived alongside with our big family. We believe she is now at peace with Jesus.

We will have a memorial service for Nafuu at our hospice facility on Thursday at 10 am.

This tragic and unexpected loss brings to the forefront once again the need we have for staff in order to open our hospice. We are trusting that God will bring the team of staff needed for us to open the doors of our hospice again by January 2016. We desperately need nurses, as well as people who have a heart to serve in any way – cooking, cleaning, serving in any capacity – if this is something you would be interested in, please write to us to apply for volunteer positions to join our team and to serve our community in palliative care.

Yanee, Nafuu’s daughter, has come into our bigger family and is making the massive adjustment. Please pray for her as she negotiates these changes. I am so proud of our other kids in our home who have welcomed her so tenderly with open arms, helping her…. They understand her grief and pain.

Thank you for praying for us!

Blessings,

Penny Wilcox

Copyright © 2015 Home of the Open Heart, All rights reserved.

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