Apology Blog

I do apologize for the links posted on my last blog.

I was in a hurry after drafting the text (and to be honest I still need help to post!!), so I opened my facebook and asked one of the girls in my office to kindly post it for me.

Thinking she was helping, (knowing that I lack the technical 'know how') she placed links for readers to make a donation for our 'Walk 2 Wash' project before posting it.  Sadly some of my readers were offended that I should try to raise funds that way. It really was not my intention.

Sorry for that!!! 
  

CHINESE vs FILIPINO

As I have mentioned before, I run a children’s home here in the Philippines (POCCH).  We have over 70 children in our homes including 10 babies/toddlers and 6 children with special needs.

 

Most of our children are children of inmates (who were either living in prison with their parents or were left abandoned when their parents were incarcerated), orphaned, abandoned or abused children whom we rescued.

Sadly in the 25+ years of the existence of our children’s homes we have received very little financial assistance from within the Philippines.  Though our children use in excess of 25 sacks of rice every month, we have only ever been given 2 sacks of rice from the government.

One time a few years ago, a foreign business operating here in the Philippines reached out to help us by giving £100 ($150, P6,000) a month for a  3 month period to help feed 25 of our children.  25 of our children were therefore selected for the program and they had to be weighed every week to monitor their weight gain over the 3 months. 

When I returned from the UK this September I came back to the news that all but one of the washing machines in our children’s homes were broken beyond repair and the remaining machine is hanging on by a prayer.  Our laundry personnel are consequently  reduced to washing all the children’s clothes by hand, which is back breaking work, very time consuming and almost impossible to cope with the load (bearing in mind the extreme heat and humidity which means the children are not able to wear their uniforms more than once). 

I priced how much it would cost for a new machine and it’s around £460 (approx. $750, P30,000) which was well beyond what we could afford.

It so happened that a friend of mine from the UK (who has supported children’s homes in the Philippines for many years), wrote to me and told me that her friend who works for a children’s home in China, did sponsored walk with the children to raise funds.  They were able to raise a massive £8,000 ($13,000, P520,000) from the Chinese people without any outside help.  She thought it might be an idea for us to try.

So we set about planning our sponsored walk project, “Walk 2 Wash” and we were quite excited.

My son designed the logo.  Hope you like it!!!

At least 55 of our children plus workers and volunteers are going to do a 6km walk.

We wrote and delivered 60 letters informing businesses in our locality and  inviting them to either join us or sponsor our children to walk.  We also offered to sponsors that for an additional cost of £12 ($20, P800) we would print their logo on the back of our t-shirts (which a pastor friend is printing for us at a greatly reduced price).

 

My son Nathanael went to follow-up the letters today.  I was really shocked that he had ZERO response.  So far not one Filipino was willing to reach out help a children’s home buy a washing machine.  Actually there was one response.   He was one owner of 3 separate establishments (franchise of famous world wide fast food chains) who wasn’t interested in actually sponsoring the children or the walk, but he was willing to pay £70 ($112, P4,500) for exclusive rights for the printing of his 3 logos on the back of our shirts!!

I found this extremely shocking, especially considering that we were asking in a big shopping area where two big malls have just been erected for people to spend their money on luxuries.

It’s a very sad day for me!!  But I am still hopeful!!

We have one week to go before our “Walk 2 Wash” which will be on the morning of December 01.  I was hoping that the Filipinos would exceed the Chinese who gave so much to support their own. 

I am confident that one way or another we will be able to buy a washing machine. A friend in the UK has already given a slightly used washing machine that my mother is hoping to sending it out to us on a container and we have been promised support from some foreign volunteer friends from the Logos Hope ship.  But I am hoping and praying that there are some Filipino people who will rise to the challenge and will not be put to shame by the Chinese people!!

Bitten Part 3

(Part 2, Part 1)

When I asked Mercy about Precious, she told me that while in hospital she had been diagnosed with meningitis.  They had discharged her from the hospital knowing that they didn’t have money to treat her, and she suffered for several months before she died.

Mercy went on to have a few more children after that.  We fulfilled our promise to keep Paulo in touch with the family even though they lived a 40 minute drive away.  On the way to jail every Tuesday, we dropped him at his family’s home and picked him up on the way back.  We did this until he started school.

Mercy asked me if I would take two of her daughters into our Children’s home too, as they were unable to send them to school.  I agreed at first, until one day they went missing along with Greta’s youngest daughter.  We reported their disappearance to the police and we spent the day and night searching for them.  Fearing the worst, I went to Mercy to inform her about the girls’ disappearance only to find they were there with her.  She found it quite amusing.  She had given the girls money and showed them how to run away and find their way home.  Needless to say, I refused to have the girls back, but was glad to return Greta’s daughter home safe and sound.

Every Christmas Day, Mercy brought her kids to our house to visit Paulo.  One year, I (as I did every year) raided my larder and fridge to send her home with plenty of food for her family and I disappeared to my room to get Christmas presents for each of her kids.  As I was in my room, my mum (who was visiting at the time) stepped out of her room just in time to catch Mercy stealing my wallet (it was actually my 8 year old daughter’s but she had hoped it was mine).  Of course I let her know my disappointment but just let it go.  Every Christmas after that, I met them outside to give the kids their presents out in the garden.

Meanwhile, our life with Paulo at home was rewarding. As Greta worked in my house, Paulo spent most of his time with us too.  He was the same age as my son Nathanael, and we treated him as one of the family.  He shared a birthday with my son Aaron, and we would have joint birthday celebrations.  If I made Aaron a birthday cake, I would make one for Paulo too.  If we celebrated in Mc Donald’s, half of the guests were Paulo’s, and they celebrated together.

When he started elementary school, however, we noticed his behaviour changed. He really struggled because the curriculum at our school was in English, so Greta suggested we enrol him in the public school, which we did.  I paid for a tricycle (motorbike with sidecar, which is a provincial type taxi) to take him to and from school every day.  I later learned, when he was caught stealing in the market, that after the tricycle dropped him at school, he would go to the market all day and just go back to school for his ride home.

Then my children’s Game Boy’s and other expensive items started disappearing.  I suspected Paulo, but my children got angry with me at even the suggestion (years later he confessed to them that he did steal the Game Boys and sold them to his classmates for P20 (30p, 50c).  In the end I had to ask that Paulo not come to our home anymore.

We caught him stealing money from my bag and breaking in to the house of our guests.  We always knew it was one of the children and not just random break ins because there was chocolate missing out of the fridge (a signature we later learned to be his).

When in his teens, my son Rannel caught him after breaking into my husband’s office, but couldn’t give a positive ID as he wore a mask.  Paulo told Rannel, as he ran passed him with a knife, “You’re lucky I didn’t take you out!!”  (He knew our schedule of activities and was not expecting anyone home and Rannel had surprised him!!)

Fearing desperately that he would not break the habit of stealing before he reached the age of 18 and would face criminal charges and a certain prison sentence, I was forced to file a case against him for stealing my kids’ bikes so that he would be sent to a government juvenile detention centre in the hope of rehabilitation.

After 2 years in rehabilitation centre, Greta visited him and he was given a good report, so she agreed to take him back after his release, though I advised her not to do so.  After just days with Greta, he stole everything she had of value.

Knowing our schedule, he’s always known the right time to break in.  We no longer leave the house empty.  Then he started breaking in while we were asleep (I’m told these gangs now use spray gas so that sleeping victims don’t wake).  One time he stole a laptop and 5kg of bananas.  When we looked over our wall, we saw the banana skins!!  He was just mocking us. While I was in the UK this summer, he broke in while people were sleeping and stole my jewellery (given by my husband and mother).  We now lock our bedrooms at night.

And now he has progressed to entering the house even when there are people awake.  Just 3 weeks after I arrived in the Philippines, while there were 4 people in the house, he waited until they were all busy in their rooms and entered through the front door, went straight to my bedroom and got my iPad and iPhone.  Yes, the iPad my family bought for my 50^th birthday.  Ugh!!  Now we lock our bedrooms even when we are home!!

When I went to report the incident to the police they told me, “Just tell us that you saw him, so we can arrest him!!” Of course I could not lie.  They told me they know him well.  He is a known leader of a group of young thieves and is heavily into drugs too.  He also needed money to settle a case filed against him by a local department store.

They say there are people who “Bite the hand that feeds them”, well, I am well and truly BITTEN!!  But it is him I pity.  I don’t want him to reap what he sows, but that will happen one day.  I hope and pray that he comes to his senses before it’s too late!!

Bitten Part 2

(Part 3, Part 1)

For the protection of identity the names in this story have been changed.

The next morning when I stepped out of my bedroom, I couldn’t believe my eyes, the child’s parents were sitting in my lounge…..

Continued

They had changed their minds and they asked me if I was willing to take care of little Paulo.

Of course I was overjoyed.  But when I asked what prompted the change of mind, I was shocked by their response.  They explained that while they had been toing and froing from the hospital, their 4 month old baby Precious (while supervision of their 8 year old daughter) fell.  She had consequently sustained a head injury and she too had been confined in hospital under observation.  They needed someone to care for Paulo while they attended to Precious. 

As the mother Mercy looked around she said to me, “Oh!!  You have kids of your own?  I thought you just wanted Paulo because you had no kids!”  I assured her that I didn’t need more children, I was merely concerned for Paulo and wanted to help.  I promised them that they wouldn’t be losing their son but we would make sure he had regular visits with his family as soon as he was strong enough.  This was clearly a relief to the father, because Paulo was their only son.

It was all systems go.   I arranged for some of my workers to help with the “bantay” shifts and I went shopping to get everything needed for our new POC family member.  Our children’s house was not properly established at that time, but our workers were quite eager to have another baby around and were willing to make any necessary sacrifices. 

Greta was particularly keen as she was a single mother with 5 girls and had always longed for a son. She and I went to the hospital laden with milk, bottles, kettle, water (of course!!!) clothes, toiletries, nappies (diapers), bedding and an electric fan.  Greta kindly offered to clean him up as he clearly   hadn’t had a wash in weeks and the stench was quite nauseating.  Can you imagine the combined   smells of sweat in an overcrowded hospital ward with temperature in the 90’s, no fan or air-conditioning, 90%+ humidity and a child who hadn’t bathed in weeks with diarrhoea and infection? If you have that smell in your imagination, then multiply it by 10 and you might be close!!! That was the state of poor little Paulo.  But we all loved him.

Of course we gave some financial assistance for the medical needs of Precious.

Slowly but surely, Paulo began to improve, until he was eventually discharged.  I remember taking him to the outpatients department and holding him tightly as they lanced his buttock and extracted a full bowl of pus (nana).

It was months before he was strong enough to sit up on his own, but we all rejoiced at every sign of progress.

True to my promise to his parents, as Paulo got stronger we arranged to take him to visit his family. 

Mercy agreed to wait by the highway to accompany me to their home.  She took Paulo in her arms, sprung to her feet and led the way up the hill. She stepped over rocks, skipped from one  stepping stone to another, through the brook and balanced across logs as if she was Tinkerbell, while I scrambled on all fours trying to keep up without putting my life in danger!!.  When we reached their house I thought it small and there was no bathroom but least they had a bedroom upstairs for the kids.  The downstairs bedroom/lounge/kitchen had just a mud floor, a wooden bench for a bed, and a clay stove in the corner.  

There were no chairs, so I sat on the bed and we discussed the children’s progress.  She told me that Precious was ok (though I observed her to be unusually quiet, unresponsive and often raised her little hands to her head as if in pain, but she uttered no complaints).  Paulo on the other hand was already gaining strength quite fidgety (malikut) and always looked for milk and biscuits!!

As we chatted, water started to pour down from the ceiling.  Mercy started to giggle and then she told me that was pee.  The family living upstairs had a baby and couldn’t afford diapers, so every time their baby peed (or worse) they got showers of blessings below.  So that tiny, wooden house without a bathroom or running water, was home to two families, and the bed where I sat was shared by a family of six!!! 

Paulo’s dad was not home that day as he was at work.  We often saw him walking the streets with the polystyrene box of ice lollies that he hoped to sell in order to support his family but often returned disappointed.

It was clear that Paulo was stood a better chance of full recovery with us and the parents were content knowing that they would get to see their son regularly.

The next time I saw Mercy, there was no sign of the baby.

Watch out for my next blog and find out what happened to Precious and finally how I was 'bitten'. 

Bitten Part 1

(Part 2, Part 3)

Years ago, three of our children from POCCH had gone home to visit their mum.  She lived with an Aeta tribal group, and when they returned one by one they had to be confined in hospital due to Malaria.

While I was taking my turn at caring for our patient, I couldn’t take my eyes off another patient on our ward who, too weak to even sit up, lay motionless and helpless.  [Here in the Philippines, every patient has to have at least one ‘bantay’, which is a person to care for them.  The bantay has to run and buy the medicine when the doctor prescribes it, take the patient to the bathroom when needed, wash and bathe the patient etc.  The job of the nurse is to administer the prescribed medication or to alert the doctors if and when necessary.  A patient with no ‘bantay’ will just be neglected and receive no medication or treatment.]

The patient I was drawn to was a two year old boy who just pulled at my heart’s strings.  He was in such a pitiful state.  He had 3^rd degree malnutrition, TB, diarrhoea, dehydration and other complications.  He was just skin and bone except for his stomach which was swollen due to malnutrition and one buttock which was swollen due to infection and he was clothed in nothing more than a dirty little vest and he lay on his dad’s cap in place of a nappy (diaper).

I observed for a while but I was just overwhelmed with compassion.  I saw how all the other patients  had people running around tending to their needs, while no one was running around buying or administering medicine to this little one.  His mother lay with her head on her arms in despair, slouched over his bed and just slept hour after hour.  When the patient’s food ration was delivered, she ate like she was starving too.

I slipped out quietly to inquire what medication he needed.  I was informed that even if he was given all he needed, his life expectancy was still less than 50:50.  I was told, “There are complications!”

At the earliest opportunity I went out to buy nappies, milk, bottles and all that was prescribed so at the very least the nurses could start the necessary treatment.

When I returned, the mother was gone and the father had taken her place.  He thanked me for my kindness, but then looked quite troubled.  I asked him what was wrong and he said that the hospital wouldn’t give him water to make up the bottles.  He couldn’t leave because he had no ‘bantay’ for his son.  So I promptly offered to watch over his son while he went to get water.

While he was away,  his son was given his first dose of medicine.  I was shocked.  This little boy was so starving he tried to make a meal of it.  He licked his lips trying to get every last drop of nutrition out of this sugary medicine. I spoke tenderly to him in his own dialect, encouraging him to fight for his life.  I had plenty of time because it has several hours before the father returned with water.

I knew that even if he were to improve there was no quick answer for his sickness.  TB, though treatable takes at least six months of treatment for a full recovery.  If the child remained with his family, they clearly couldn’t afford to feed him much less provide medication, so in reality he had little hope of survival with them.  So after much thought, I made a proposal to the mother and told her that if she would let me care for her son while undergoing treatment, I would cover all his expenses.  I was shocked when she refused my offer.  I couldn’t believe it.  I left her my address just in case she would change her mind.

Of course I was aware that she didn’t know me well and understood her apprehension, on the other hand however, as far as I could see, she didn’t have any other options.  Her son was dying.

That night as I lay in my bed crying inconsolably, I couldn’t get him out of my mind.  I tried to imagine what I would do if my son was in that state.  I couldn’t understand how a mother could just sit and watch her son die.  I thought of how I would knock on doors and offer to do people’s laundry or any kind of work to raise the money to somehow buy the needed medicine and do my best to care for my son.  I cried myself to sleep. 

There are times that no matter how much you want to help someone, they just don’t want to be helped.

The next morning when I  stepped out of my bedroom, I couldn’t believe my eyes, the child’s parents were sitting in my lounge.

Look out for my next blog and I’ll tell you how it all went down!!!

The Freedom Project

Please forgive me for not blogging for so long.

I did actually make this draft while I was in Denmark a few months ago, but due lack of technical 'know how', I was unable to upload it.  I planned not to publish it as it is so outdated, but then upon refection I decided to go ahead with it anyway.  So I apologize for it being late.  As the TV chef's would say, "Here's one I prepared for you earlier!!".....

Greetings from Denmark!!

 I am sorry that I haven't been able to post any blogs since March!! Yes, it finally happened, my laptop died!! It could possibly be resurrected, so I'm told, but at quite a hefty price for such a vintage laptop (5 years is a century in cyber years I believe, though I have to confess, I am very ignorant of all things web related!!). So I was taken off the cyber scene, with the exception of my iPhone. 

My children and I traveled from the Philippines to the UK at the end of April on our "Freedom Project" tour. So then I totally lost the 3G on my phone until I return to the Philippines in September!! 

On June 15, I turned fifty!!

What was so wonderful about turning half a century however, was that all my family in England clubbed together and bought me an iPad!! Yeah!  It was the perfect gift for me.  I love it!!!

So I am back to blogging at last. Turning fifty had it's benefits, but it's most likely downhill from now so I'm told. 

As I am very new to the iPad, it is taking me a while to get my head around it. Learning to get around without a mouse is not easy for this novice and there are no 6 year olds around for me to ask!! (I left my 7 kids and my grandson in the UK). Isn't that always the way, no 6 year olds around when you need technical advice, but when you are in the kitchen trying to cook dinner they're under your feet? lol!! So right now I am in Europe (which sounds glamorous, but I can only say that because I am writing this blog while in Denmark where I will be spending a grand total of 5 days.

The remainder of my time In Europe will be in the UK. Why was I invited to Denmark? Well I was invited to do some public speaking which is largely to do with the 'Freedom Project'. What is the 'Freedom Project'? 

Well, I can't remember if I've mentioned this to you in the past (what do you expect, I'm 50!!), but part of my involvement with prisoners in the Philippines is that while they are incarcerated, I offer to take their kids and give them a loving home and an education.

 Prisoners kids are the innocent victims of crime, especially in countries like the Philippines. When parents are arrested, the social services are not equipped to intervene for their children, and many then fall victim to abuse, when they turn to a neighbour or relative for food and shelter.  Others try to stay in jail with their parents and are even more vulnerable. We have taken children as young as 2 years old into our homes who have had a fear of the bathroom!! Such children need rescuing!! They need the chance of a loving home, a good education and a hope for the future. 

One day I was reading a story to my 6 year old son.... A little girl was at the sea shore and saw thousands of starfish. She stooped down and picked up a starfish and thew it into the sea (as starfish can only survive for 5 days out of the water). A man came along and told her that she was wasting her time because there were too many starfish. He told her that her efforts wouln't make a difference. The little girl then stooped down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the ocean and said, 'Well it made a difference to that one!' 

The 'Freedom Project' is a sponsorship program that offers the opportunity to help us rescue these children.   By sponsoring a child for just £15 ($25) to live in our children's home or to study in our school we can rescue children from abusive situations and/or extreme poverty and give them a hope of a future (check our website for details  www.philippineoutreachcentre.com)

 During the first two days in Denmark I spoke in a couple of colleges and today I spoke to a group in Herning, and more than 20 chose to rescue a child!! So a good day today for the 'Freedom Project' Yeah!!

When I return to the UK my children and I will be travelling the UK on behalf of 'the freedom project', hoping to raise sponsors, that will help keep our children's homes and school in the Philippines open, to serve children in need.

A CASE OF ‘SIMPLE THEFT’

I received a desperate text the other day from a former inmate from the jail in 164.  Oly spent 5 years in jail and was released a little over a year ago.

Since her release she has been an active member of ‘Xcell’  (group of ex-prisoners who are committed to helping inmates and ex-prisoners).  She would go to the court to ‘follow-up’ the cases of inmates.

What do I mean by ‘follow-up’?  Well, in a country where the courts are overloaded, it is easy for cases to get lost in the system.

I once ‘followed-up’ the case of an inmate.  

Her case was ‘simple theft’ and she had been in jail for  three years (the duration of the trial).  When she was finally sentenced she was given 3-6 months.  She wrote to the judge asking him to consider her time served.  Her request was denied.  She asked for my help 9 months after her promulgation (pronouncement of sentence).

This poor woman had clearly been forgotten.

I have been in the Philippines for almost 29 years now, and I have learned that it is really not helpful to get angry, make accusations and ascribe blame.  It’s far more effective to try to understand that these people are overwhelmed with cases, and trying to keep on top of things would be daunting for anyone.  By simply bringing this poor woman’s case to the attention of the court had enough impact.

I visited the jail a few days later and she had been released.  As for inmates who have no one to ‘follow-up’, they so easily get lost in the system..

Oly, having experienced life on the inside, vowed to help her former co-inmates by making regular ‘follow-ups’ to their cases.

Oly's (seen here kneeling) team wins the talent competition in 164 jail 2009

Imagine my shock to read that she was texting me from behind bars in the city jail.  She sounded so desperate.

She had been trying hard since her release to get a job to support her 6 children.  Along with other ‘Xcells’, she had received training as a machinist and at last was so excited to have been offered a job at a local factory.  All she needed was to submit her NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) clearance and she was all set to start her new job. 

NBI clearance is a requirement when applying for any job here in the Philippines.  It is basically a document to state that the individual has no pending criminal cases.

When the police checked her records they arrested her immediately and put her in the city jail.  They told her that she had a pending case from 1992.

Those of us who know the judicial system here know that once apprehended getting out of jail is no easy task. 

The case was regarding a missing piece of jewellery that someone had reported to the police in 1992, for which Oly (who was just a teenager then) was accused.  She had settled the case with the complainant and she had paid for the missing item, but the complainant forgot to file an affidavit of desistence to cancel her complaint. 

As I previously stated, a 'simple theft' case can take at least three years.

We were told that nothing could be done for Oly because the judge was out of town. 

I immediately went to visit her, offer some words of encouragement and put a good word in for her to police.  Lots of friends, family and ‘Xcells’ were there to offer their support too.  Though it seemed hopeless, just having that moral support lifted her spirits and you just never know, sometimes ‘following-up’ just does make a difference. 

The following day someone offered to pay the amount needed to settle the problem and I am very pleased to say, Oly was released.

She now has a certificate stating that she has no criminal record!!!  And she is free to continue helping other inmates as the new president of ‘Xcell’!! 

Oly holding her NBI clearance stating that she has no criminal record

By the way, Oly started her new job in the factory the next day.

A BRUSH WITH THE LAW

I'm starting to quite like this ‘blogging’ thing.  It gives me a chance to put a voice to the things that I think.

I  write a newsletter every month, but there’s only limited things I can say in that and I don't get to be too personal.  A blog gives me the chance to let you know what it’s like to be me. 

Now my (7) kids are growing up I get to say that a lot.  When they shout, “Who’s taken my chocolate out of the fridge??” I tell them, “Now you know what it feels like to be me!!” 

Of course I’m assuming that you are reading this blog because you are interested in what it is like to be me!!!

Did I mention that I work with prisoners?  Well, that is what I do here in the Philippines and I love my job.

I lead a team and we visit 4 jails every week when and if finances permit, we visit the Maximum, Medium and RDC prisons in Muntinlupa (South Manila) once a month.

MUNTINLUPA MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON 

MUNTINLUPA MEDIUM SECURITY PRISON

MUNTINLUPA RDC PRISON (Where inmates go to prepare for integration with general population)

INMATES INSIDE JAIL

MYSELF WITH THE JAIL WARDEN OF SN. FERNANDO JAIL
(I really must get myself another T-shirt!! I promise, I did wash it  in between these photo shots!!!)

Of course the justice system here is so much different to what I was used to in the UK and it took a bit of adjusting.

One time, my mum and my niece found themselves in a police investigation unit office (or should I say, broken down old stationary caravan).  They were shocked to learn that there were no modern investigative tools, not even a telephone, just a few hand drawn sketches on the wall and an antiquated old computer.  My mum asked one of the police officers, “How do you manage to solve any crimes?” and he answered so matter-of-factly “Witnesses mam!!”  And in my twenty eight plus years working here, that is truly it.  Police rely almost entirely on witnesses (which is ok if the witnesses are genuine and honest but very sad for the victims who fall prey to ‘false witnesses’!!).

Of course, we can’t blame the officers when they don’t have the resources to do a thorough investigation.  They have to make the best of a bad situation.

Then there is the court system.  In a similar way, I have to feel sorry for the judges who are working through mountains of cases.

I often find myself in court having been asked to give moral support to inmates and I still find it quite shocking.

Fortunately the courts do give ‘priority’ to criminal cases in consideration that the accused are usually detained in the local jails.  So if your case happens to be a civil case, you will have to sit through the morning’s criminal trials, before yours will be heard.

The trial courts are usually packed to capacity at every hearing and there are usually so many cases to be heard that there are only seats (benches) for the inmates (inmates are easily distinguished as they are handcuffed to each other and wear yellow t-shirts stating they are detainees).  It’s standing room only for complainants, witnesses and relatives.  Being a foreigner and being a familiar face to many of the police officers, I'm usually privileged to get a seat.

Sometimes there are as many as thirty criminal cases to be heard in one morning.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist, or even an attorney, to figure that not much is going to be achieved in any one of those trials.  In each case too, they have to take time to state the obvious such as name, address, and a lot of what seems to me to be irrelevant trivia, and by the time all that has been stated and confirmed, it’s almost time to move on to the next case. 

What’s even worse (especially if you are an inmate), is that cases often postponed. If the inmate’s attorney, witnesses or complainants fail to show or if the fiscal (prosecutor) is out of town, or in a meeting, or if the judge is sick or attending a seminar, the trial is automatically postponed.  One time we all sat down and it all seemed hopeful.  The attorneys were present, the fiscal and judge were there too, but then there was a power cut.  The judge waited less than five minutes and then announced that the hearings were all postponed.  Before we left the court the power was back, but proceedings were already postponed!! There is just a total sense of despair when their cases are postponed and many of the female inmates they just can’t hold back their tears.

EX-PRISONERS VISIT THEIR FORMER HOME

So inmates pile into the courtroom hoping that the hearing will go ahead to so often have their hopes dashed.  And as the judge has so many cases to handle, when a case is postponed, sometimes inmates have to wait as long as six months for a resetting.

In general if a case goes to trial, the accused can expect at least three years in jail no matter what the case.

One time there was a group of young people arrested in the town for illegal gambling.  In fairness to the police, the group had been warned several times but undeterred they continued to play cards in a public place.  Police seized a pack of cards and P36 (approx 50p or just less than $1) of gambling money and the group where hauled off to the station.  There they were told that they could pay a P 1,000 fine each (approx £15) or their case would go to trial.  Two opted to pay the fine but because the other three didn’t have the money, the case went to trial.  The two got out immediately on bail.  After two years a kind visitor of mine kindly paid the bail for another, but the two are still in jail and that was over 4 years ago!!!

I also have two friends whose cases are fraud and their cases are still under trial after 16 years.  If there are many complainants, each complainant represents one count (or one case) and then there is little hope of a speedy trial.

I have another friend who was found guilty of 10 counts of murder and was released after 15 years.  The fraud and illegal recruitment (finding people jobs abroad illegally) cases are still under trial after 16 years.

So, if you are planning to come to the Philippines, take my advice and be sure you don’t have a brush with the law!!

Advancis and Jhea-Mae's face burn

 It's been a while since my last blog. Computer problems!!  Deep joy!!


Anyway, through the incident with Tiffany (in my last blog), the hospital where she had been confined, opened its doors for Val to give lectures to doctors regarding the care and treatment of burns.  She was able to leave free dressing packs in the emergency room to ensure that no child burn victim would have to go untreated due to a lack of finances.  

As for Tiffany every 10 days I would have to take her to visit Val to have her dressing changed.  

Unfortunately, Val, who was very willing to treat Tiffany completely free of charge, ran out of dressings.  I traveled 2 1/2 hours to find the much needed dressings which I found as I stumbled across the tiniest of stores who gave a great discount when I told her of Tiffany's story.

In the meantime my niece who had recently returned to the UK, wrote to several pharmaceutical companies in the UK who made dressings, appealing for help.


Whenever Tiffany saw my car she would scream, because she knew that it was time to have her dressing changed.  It was hard to endure the screams as she had the wound bathed and cleaned with nothing more than oral paracetamol and anti-histamines to dull the pain and make her a little drowsy.  She screamed in pain the entire time, every time!!  On the way home, to end on a happier note, I would take her and her parents to Jollibee (which is the local children's favorite fast food chain similar to Mc Donald's), which of course she loved.

 

Whenever I arrived to collect her for her check-ups, she got in the car screaming but  between the screams and sobs she would say, "Jollibee tayo?" (are we going to Jollibee?)

TIFFANY AT JOLLIBEE

                                                              
Thankfully, aside from the much needed pressure garments, Tiffany is now doing fine.  As she is only two years old, she has a lot of growing to do.  Disfiguring is caused as the new skin is not as flexible and doesn't stretch with growth as the original skin does.  Pressure garments help prevent this disfigurement. Sadly these pressure garments are not available here in the Philippines and are very expensive.  So Tiffany is still waiting.


Just before Christmas I received a message from my niece Rachel.  She returned home one day to find boxes stacked up on her doorstep.  One of the pharmaceutical companies Advancis responded and donated boxes of the expensive dressings that Val needs to reach out and treat burns victims who would otherwise receive no treatment.

When my mother contacted the 'balikbayan' courier service she uses to send me dad's old gadgets, they insisted to send us the boxes free of charge!!


The day I went to deliver the packages to Val, there was a little girl who had just had an accident with some hot noodles.  Climbing up on a chair in their kitchen, Jhea-Mae slipped and pulled the hot noodles all over her chest and face.  The parents took her to the hospital but didn't have the means to pay for her medication, so she had been referred to Helping Hands  (Who knows what happened to the packs that Val left???  ...and Jhea-Mae's dressing also looks strikingly similar to Tiffany's!!!  It is quite frustrating for Val, but as always, we just plod on and do our best to help and to hopefully make a difference whenever we can!!)  

Helping Hands is a mission run by Claire (a good friend of mine).  They reach out to help indigent children in need of medical care, operations and care for children in their recovery unit.   Knowing of Val's expertise, Claire had in turn referred Jhea-Mae to Val.  


Val was wondering how she was going to care for Jhea-Mae without the much needed honey dressings.  What perfect timing!!  Mae was able to have the very best of care.

VAL DELIGHTED WITH HER GIFT FROM ADVANCIS

Val was so pleased too as she was about to treat a baby boy who had a coffee burn.  The parents had left the toddler in a room unattended with the coffee sitting on the side.  The toddler wasn't taken to the hospital because the family didn't even have the fare to get to the hospital much less afford the hospital care.  Imagine the pain that this little boy endured for four days with no medical care at all??? 
 


You can only imagine Val's elation that she had the supplies and was able to treat these children with the very best of dressings, without having skimp!!  

It was nice for us Brits (although Val is now an Australian citizen!!) to unite together to reach out and help these little ones that would have been without hope!!

 

Jhea-Mae is thankfully recovering well from her burn as is Tiffany and so many more children will reap the benefits of the dressings that came to the Philippines on account of Tiffany's tragic accident.  So something good came out of the trial!!!

2 year old oil burn victim

Talking of Nanna Jean losing her sister to a burn brought back me my experience here in the Philippines with little Tiffany last year.

(I know blogs are supposed to be short to hold your interest, but this is a long story.  I hope you'll stick with me.)


Moments after our Xcell meeting ended one Saturday, I sat down in my office to start my work when I received a call.  I could barely hear what was being said because there was just noise and panic.  Two year old Tiffany (who had just been at our meeting with her grandma) had been in an accident and a pan of deep frying oil had fallen and poured over her back. 

Grandma had gone with friends to visit a lady who sold fish balls for a living.  There are no health and safety regulations here for people selling food by the roadside, and the wok of deep frying oil stood precariously less than a foot from the ground.  As the friends chatted and ate their freshly fried fish balls, Tiffany tripped and pulled the whole pan over her back, chest, arm, and neck.  It was a miracle that she was still alive and that the oil hadn't touched her face.

Here in the Philippines  it is said that toothpaste and ketchup are remedies for burns, so the neighbours had subjected poor Tiffany to bottles of ketchup and tubes of toothpaste prior to calling me.  As they removed her clothes, her skin was stripped from her body too. That was when they called for my help (as I am their only friend with a car).


As I approached the area of the accident, shocked neighbours crowded the streets and watched as panicked friends were running carrying Tiffany by her hands and feet not knowing what to do, but trying desperately to avoid anything touching the burns.  I didn't know what to do either!!  But when I don't know what to do, I always find that the best thing is to pray.  Knowing what happened to Nanna Jean's sister, I knew that a miracle was the first thing we needed. Tiffany stopped screaming and a calm seemed to come over her.

I asked my son Nathanael to drive us to the hospital but hen I suddenly remembered Val.  Val is an English/Australian nurse who specialized in the treatment of burns and had worked in the best British and Australian burns units.  She now works as a volunteer here in the Philippines, helping arrange for teams of volunteers to conduct cleft palate operations for the indigent.  When I called her, she told me not to go to the hospital but to go straight to her and she'd be ready for us.  So we did a u-turn  and headed straight to Val's.

Within 30 minutes she had Tiffany's burn completely dressed with the best honey dressings that money can buy that 'just happened' to arrive from Australia days before.  Though Tiffany was clearly in pain, her wound was well protected.

Val explained to me that it was good that I had brought Tiffany to her because the nearest burns unit was over 4 hours drive away and the local hospitals do not have any trained staff to deal with burns.  However, she cautioned us that due to severity of the burn (that covered more than 20% of her body) Tiffany may need to go to hospital for re-hydration and anti-biotics. But she warned me that the dressing must remain on for 10 days and must not get wet under any circumstances.

Tiffany's fever rose and we had no choice but to have her confined in a local hospital.  I told the staff that we had been given strict instructions for the dressing not to be removed.  Which they agreed.  I left Tiffany at the hospital with her dad (as her mum was working away).  Less than an hour later I received a call from a very stressed dad.  Just as I had feared, the moment I left the hospital, the new surgeon on duty insisted that Tiffany's dressing be removed, and she was convulsing.  Of course, I do understand that a doctor would like to see the extent of the child's wounds if that child was being confined, but surely they would make sure that they could give at least as good a protective dressing as the one they removed??  But no!!!



When I called Val, she was so upset.  Aside from the waste of the expensive dressings (of which she only had 1 more piece), she knew that they had put Tiffany's life in danger by exposing her wound.


When I returned to the hospital I wanted to cry when I saw her.  I could not believe the flimsy excuse of dressing that they had put on to protect her from infection, and she had been put on the general ward with children with all kinds of sicknesses and diseases.  Even the attending Pediatrician asked who had left this child in such a state, and immediately had her put in isolation (which had another patient in but it was considerably better than the general ward).  

I have learned over the years, that it doesn't help to get angry.  It only antagonizes people and nothing improves.  So Val and I asked nicely if she could come and re-dress Tiffany's wounds (which was strictly against hospital policy for non-staff to be involved with the patients for obvious reasons).  However when I showed the chief surgeon the state of the 'new dressing', he had to admit that the child was severely at risk of catching infection, and (as the skin controls the body temperature) there was little hope of her temperature stabling.  It took hours of convincing then one kind surgeon offered to change the dressing under Val's supervision in order to satisfy the hospital's requirements and our request was granted (incidentally both surgeons had witnessed Val's skill and success in treating burns, so they knew that Tiffany was in safe hands).

It is normal practice in local hospitals (where there are no burns specialists) to clean severe burns every day and scrape the burn (with absolutely no sedation even for small children).  The purpose I'm sure is to keep the wound clean, but in actual fact, every time a dressing is removed, it removes the skin and hinders the healing process.  Tiffany would have been subject to having her wound washed (with local tap water) and scraped daily.  Thank God for surgeons who had compassion and spared her that!!  


I picked up Val to take her to the hospital.  She was equipped with scrub suit, baby bath, purified water, sterilized  equipment, dressings, anti-histamine meds (to at least dull the pain) and even a table on which to place her equipment.


True to his word, the doctor came and the procedure started.  It was hard for me to endure the screams of hysteria as poor Tiffany had to bathe in soapy water so that the flimsy dressing would fall off with minimal pain and damage.
 

I will never know how on earth the doctors would be able to endure the kicks and screams daily as they would normally bathe their patients wounds without purified soapy water and no pain relief at all, scraping away at the sores!!  Thank God that this was the last that Tiffany would have to endure for at least 10 more days!!