Dear Family and Friends
I've arrived back here in Siem Reap about an hour ago. We don't have internet in the hospital so I will write you a quick update.
Mordegai is doing good, looking much better than yesterday. The doctor cleaned out the leg yesterday in the OR (it is a very big wound, the truck drove over his leg). right now his leg in traction and then they plan to operate and put a steel pen in on Monday.Then for 3 weeks in hospital or till he is mobile I guess.God has kept Mordegai through all this and we are so thankful for our friends that were there with him right after the accident to put a turniket etc. He lost a lot of blood. Everyone wants to know how they can help and we appreciate it so much..
He is is Batambang, about 3 and half hours ride here from Siem Reap.The hospital is World Mate Emergency Hospital and they specialize in this.
I plan to drive back tomorrow or the next day. at the moment our friends from Youth call will be with Mordegai till I get back. lots of things happening here at home, our beautiful golden retriever puppy ran out the gate and got killed by a car yesterday. So please pray for the boys. Our dear friends from Community Link , all the staff are helping to look after the boys while I were with Mordegai.
later with a bit more time I will write more in detail. We thank all of you for your prayers and your help.
Love Toinette
a letter from my friend
This is a massively crazy story, I'll do my best to condense it as much as I can...
Tuesday Morning, we left on our motor scooter to join a team going out into remote village communities (about 6 hours from Siem Reap) to carry out dentistry, health checks, medication administration and chiropractic.
After our first treatment clinic yesterday, Mordegai our team leader was hit head on by a truck when we were driving to the next village just after sunset.
The truck had only one head light working, and looked as if was on the correct side of the road- therefore Mordegai was unaware of what was up ahead.
Thankfully, we were riding slow on our little bike and about 2 minutes behind - we came across Mordegai's mangled dirt bike and could hear him crying out by the roadside.
We asked him where it hurt and if he could move, all the usual questions- We quickly discovered a serious looking compound fracture (bone poking through the skin) on his upper leg. He was bleeding a lot and in a great deal of pain.
I used my scarf/bandana to tourniquet above the break and slow the bleeding. Checked for other injuries and tried to make him comfortable- luckily we had some strong painkillers with us, scissors etc. Anthony made sure the broken bike was not going to explode and helped find more people to assist.
Thankfully Mordegai's phone had battery power and service. Mordegai called his Khmer speaking friend who was in the village ahead and arranged a 'taxi', plus the police service to help. We also made phone contact with the rest of the outreach team and told them what had happened, so they could help prepare things at the village or come back to find us.
The police arrived in their 4WD ute to take us to the village where the taxi was waiting. By this stage about 20 villagers were crowding around, god knows where they all came from- (I just saw trees).
We had one old lady bring a tatami mat which we managed to use as a stretcher to get Mordegi onto the back of the pickup truck. I had to manually stabilize his messed up leg while the men lifted him.
I continued to hold his leg in place until we reached the village.
Mordegi's friend directed us to a medical clinic and thankfully the doctor was not drunk. We requested a line for fluids and injected more painkillers. At this stage we were already over one hour into the ordeal. The team at the clinic made a splint and bandaged the leg wound while we all madly arranged logistics. Including paying off the police and bribing the Taxi driver to take us. (They don’t like to carry the sick because its very bad luck to have someone die in your car). Or something like that.
We managed to cram poor broken Mordegai, our motor scooter, all Mordegai's medical supplies, Anthony, myself and 3 others into the Van.
The next 5 hours of bumpy hellish road were spent trying to stabilize the broken leg over the ridiculous pot-holes (craters) and bumps in the dirt road and then the highway which was not much better. To make it worse the motor scooter had just been filled with petrol so the fumes were a problem.
Once we arrived onto the main road, the driver tried to stop at a closed medical clinic. He felt that the IV line we had in the Mordegai needed to be redone. The canula wasn't working right but there was no time for this. Luckily, Anthony's assertiveness got the driver back in the taxi and the crowding people away.
When we arrived at Siem Reap hospital we had to instruct the nurses to get a stretcher and move Mordegai into the hospital. (We found out that its common for hospitals to refuse patients that they are afraid they can’t handle). Finally he was moved into a room and more painkillers and fluids were given.
Soon after this Mordegai was once again transferred to an Emergency Hospital three hours away.
Thankfully he will be ok.
I hate to think what would have happened if things had taken any longer… or if we were driving in front rather than behind when the hit and run happened.
P.S. The police caught the guy who hit him. :)
Tuesday Morning, we left on our motor scooter to join a team going out into remote village communities (about 6 hours from Siem Reap) to carry out dentistry, health checks, medication administration and chiropractic.
After our first treatment clinic yesterday, Mordegai our team leader was hit head on by a truck when we were driving to the next village just after sunset.
The truck had only one head light working, and looked as if was on the correct side of the road- therefore Mordegai was unaware of what was up ahead.
Thankfully, we were riding slow on our little bike and about 2 minutes behind - we came across Mordegai's mangled dirt bike and could hear him crying out by the roadside.
We asked him where it hurt and if he could move, all the usual questions- We quickly discovered a serious looking compound fracture (bone poking through the skin) on his upper leg. He was bleeding a lot and in a great deal of pain.
I used my scarf/bandana to tourniquet above the break and slow the bleeding. Checked for other injuries and tried to make him comfortable- luckily we had some strong painkillers with us, scissors etc. Anthony made sure the broken bike was not going to explode and helped find more people to assist.
Thankfully Mordegai's phone had battery power and service. Mordegai called his Khmer speaking friend who was in the village ahead and arranged a 'taxi', plus the police service to help. We also made phone contact with the rest of the outreach team and told them what had happened, so they could help prepare things at the village or come back to find us.
The police arrived in their 4WD ute to take us to the village where the taxi was waiting. By this stage about 20 villagers were crowding around, god knows where they all came from- (I just saw trees).
We had one old lady bring a tatami mat which we managed to use as a stretcher to get Mordegi onto the back of the pickup truck. I had to manually stabilize his messed up leg while the men lifted him.
I continued to hold his leg in place until we reached the village.
Mordegi's friend directed us to a medical clinic and thankfully the doctor was not drunk. We requested a line for fluids and injected more painkillers. At this stage we were already over one hour into the ordeal. The team at the clinic made a splint and bandaged the leg wound while we all madly arranged logistics. Including paying off the police and bribing the Taxi driver to take us. (They don’t like to carry the sick because its very bad luck to have someone die in your car). Or something like that.
We managed to cram poor broken Mordegai, our motor scooter, all Mordegai's medical supplies, Anthony, myself and 3 others into the Van.
The next 5 hours of bumpy hellish road were spent trying to stabilize the broken leg over the ridiculous pot-holes (craters) and bumps in the dirt road and then the highway which was not much better. To make it worse the motor scooter had just been filled with petrol so the fumes were a problem.
Once we arrived onto the main road, the driver tried to stop at a closed medical clinic. He felt that the IV line we had in the Mordegai needed to be redone. The canula wasn't working right but there was no time for this. Luckily, Anthony's assertiveness got the driver back in the taxi and the crowding people away.
When we arrived at Siem Reap hospital we had to instruct the nurses to get a stretcher and move Mordegai into the hospital. (We found out that its common for hospitals to refuse patients that they are afraid they can’t handle). Finally he was moved into a room and more painkillers and fluids were given.
Soon after this Mordegai was once again transferred to an Emergency Hospital three hours away.
Thankfully he will be ok.
I hate to think what would have happened if things had taken any longer… or if we were driving in front rather than behind when the hit and run happened.
P.S. The police caught the guy who hit him. :)
2 comments:
We are lifting you and your family up in prayer!!! Proverbs 3:5-7
praying for you! Love, Jen Cecil (Katherine's friend) :)
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