Indian Woman Receives Breath
of Life
Bhimavarpadu,
India – In January, medical help came to 870 impoverished men, women
and children living within the deepest parts of rural India. A small team
of Operation Blessing medical volunteers was able to provide medical, dental
and optical services in five different locations! See how Mondikota’s
life was changed when the medical camp came to her village for the first
time.
Mondikota’s smiling face
greeted the Operation Blessing medical volunteers on January 29th. She and
her two boys were waiting patiently for the 1-day medical camp to begin
in Bhimavarpadu. The 36-year-old woman’s smile disappeared as she
shared how life had drastically changed for her family in the last few years.
Her lovely voice had brought popularity. As a radio artist with her own
program, people across the state knew Mondikota’s name. Tragedy
struck when her husband had an accident and became disabled. As the family’s
sole breadwinner, Mondikota began suffering from “allergic asthma”.
Seven years passed. Without medicine the condition worsened. She couldn’t
sit up and talk continuously for even thirty minutes! Doing basic household
chores in the family’s small hut was a big ordeal. Suicidal thoughts
infiltrated her mind.
This family was one of many in the area without hope. Home to less than
1,000 people, Bhimavarpadu and neighboring village Sethammapally are about
350 km from Hyderabad. Its residents labor on farms and cut bamboo in
the nearby forest. Unfortunately, the lack of seasonal rains for the last
several years have led to crop failure and hard times for these already
poor people. Surrounded by this desperate situation, Pastor Bulli Raju
wanted to bring hope to his community. He contacted Operation Blessing’s
center in India.
A breath of life soon came when the team of six doctors including a gynecologist,
pediatrician, optometrist, and dentist examined 362 patients. The team
treated a variety of urgent dental and medical cases. For Mondikota, she
could literally breath easier after seeing the doctor. She learned how
to alleviate the asthma symptoms and was given antibiotics for pain, vitamins
and cough syrup. Pastor Raju will follow up with Mondikota to check on
her progress and need for refills for the medication. In order to receive
free treatment, she will visit Operation Blessing’s contacts at
the government hospital.
Those who didn’t take advantage of the medical camp weren’t
left out. In addition to bringing medical relief, Operation Blessing also
drilled a clean water-well for the community’s use!
You too can bring a breath of life to impoverished people around the
world.
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