Can you help to save the life of Filomena in Mozambique?
I am writing with a sense of urgency to make known a situation that I am hopeful will stir those with hearts of compassion to action.
I will first state the desired outcome – to see Filomena Salmo Tomas get the medical treatment that she is in desperate need of.
Filomena is a 9 year old girl, the daughter of Pastor Salmo Tomas Fernando who serves with Iris Ministries in Munza. He is married and has 6 children. He brought his daughter to the hospital in Beira a city a few hours from his home in early November. They have now been there for 3 months. Filomena has a rapidly growing tumor on the left side of her jaw. It is now approximately the size of a lemon and has shifted or crushed her jaw so that her lower teeth are now in the center of her mouth. The hospital in Beira is unable to do anything for her and they are not offering other options. They do give some medicine for pain but she is still suffering much. She is unable to eat anything except that which is the consistency of soup. Hospitals here do not offer food to the patients. It is the responsibility of the family. Imagine the extra challenge this creates.
Pastor Salmo has not been able to go home to see his family since arriving to Beira. This has put hardship on his wife and five other children as well.
I found out about her and met her just over two weeks ago. God has burdened my heart to see this precious girl be attended to. I have been praying. I sent an email to a church in Zimbabwe that is affiliated with a hospital. I did not hear back from them but two days later I got a ride home from Beira (30 minutes from where I am staying) with Nido and Helene, a Brazilian missionary couple from another organization. In the conversation in the car I found out that the school they serve with also has a hospital in Zimbabwe. I really feel this could be the connection I have prayed for to get the needed surgery for Filomena but there are still many things that need to come together for this to happen.
Action Steps and Prayer Points –
1) Prayer!!!
2) Pastor Salmo needs to get a Passport
· Gather all the necessary documents required. He may have to go back to Munza to get some. To do this needs someone to stay with his daughter.
· Needs Passport photographs of himself and his daughter for application. He will need to get special permission to take Filomena from the hospital to get the Passport photo taken. He will try to do this today Feb 8th.
· Favor with the immigration office. He will try to go there tomorrow Feb 9th.
3) Favor with the hospital. Nido is also a photographer. He has taken the x-rays and will photograph them to produce a jpeg image. He will get these and the contact name for me at the hospital. I will send the x-rays and a photo of her along with the email requesting assistance. I have been told this hospital has done many surgeries like this. I pray they would be able and willing to make a way for this Filomena to be treated there.
4) For timing of all related things. If the hospital is able and the passport is attained quickly, Nido and Helene will be traveling back to Zimbabwe sometime next week. It would be very nice for Filomena and her father to get a ride there in a quality car. The other option is a chappa (sp?) In the loosest sense of the word it is public transportation. (Think extremely overcrowded mini-van packed with people, packages and sometimes even chickens with more packages and possibly goats strapped to the top.)
5) Finances for all needs.
Pastor Salmo has been unable to work for the past 3 months. I am praying that there are those who will feel the desire to help him with the expenses related to the above. At this time I do not know what the amounts may be and where to donate but I wanted to get this out ASAP to begin the urgent prayers. I will send more information as I get it.
Thank you very much,
God bless you for anything that you can do to help!
Laura Eubanks, serving in Dondo, Mozambique.
