Today’s post was adapted from an update written by a CAMA global partner serving in the medical field of West Africa. Your support through CAMA has empowered Christ followers to share Jesus in word and deed with those most in need.

Six hours from diagnosis to the operating room is expected or maybe just considered a delayed wait time in the United States, but here, it is a miracle.

The patient, Coly, was diagnosed in the small, rural Beersheba clinic—miles away from any hospital capable of giving him the lifesaving surgery he needed. Coly’s mom brought him in. The 14-month-old had been fussy and irritable for the last two days, and his once easily reducible umbilical hernia was non-reducible, inflamed, very tender, and now incarcerated.

This was a true surgical emergency, and we had less than 12 hours to act.

Abdoulaye (one of the nurses at the Beersheba clinic) and I looked at each other and knew that if we did not act quickly, the boy’s life would be at stake. With patients still waiting to be seen, we jumped in the car and drove to Coly’s home. We found his grandfather.

So many people here are highly skeptical and distrustful of surgeries and prefer finding care with their marabou, a local traditional healer, rather than having surgery. However, after we had explained the urgency of Coly’s condition and the need for immediate surgery, to our utter shock, his grandfather consented to the surgery and even said that Coly’s family would sell several animals to pay for the surgery.

The next barrier was finding a surgeon and hospital to accept Coly’s case on short notice. I began making some phone calls, and before I knew it, we had a hospital that was willing to schedule his surgery. But we still needed to find a surgeon.

I was given the phone number of a pediatric surgeon who was working in a city hours away. I called him, and, to my surprise, he answered the phone. He accepted Coly’s case and said he would make the drive.

And, as is often the case here, there were many other details to arrange and barriers to overcome, but Abdoulaye and I just stood in awe as we watched God orchestrate the details needed to speak hope and healing into what seemed like an almost-certain death sentence for Coly.

Coly had his surgery within six hours of being diagnosed! Today, he has healed well without any complications.

Coly’s family is of the majority faith, and our intentional acts of love and compassion have been a tangible expression of our Lord’s love and care for them. Beersheba staff have made subsequent visits to his home, and we plan on inviting his family to the Easter service at the Beersheba church. It is humbling to watch God move on behalf of His children to make His glory and love known!