Place of Love and Care

Mr. O was frightened. If he agreed to the surgery, he would lose his right foot and leg and possibly his livelihood, growing tomatoes in his beloved garden. Sister Vinaya Chalil and volunteers from the home-based care program, an outreach of Pabalelong Hospice in Botswana, frequently visited Mr. O to change his dressing and assure him that surgery would save the remainder of his leg and his life.

Several years prior, Mr. O sustained a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. He had been working at a construction site when the walls of a building collapsed, crushing him as well as his independence and ability to work. Thanks to the care received from the hospice, Mr. O progressed from using a wheelchair to being able to walk with crutches. 

When he was able to start a vegetable garden, it became a life-giving therapeutic endeavor. Most of his time was spent sitting on the ground and “scooting” throughout his garden. However, due to a lack of sensation in his legs, he developed serious pressure wounds, resulting in a below-the-knee amputation and daily dressing changes. Fortunately, there was a ministry in Botswana that could help patients like Mr. O.

“Go and see the Sisters, they will help you, they help all the sick people in the village.” That is one comment from a local resident that displays the reputation Sister Vinaya has helped build for the ministry.