Fred's herniaa call came at 9 pm our time, from Uganda. Patrick called my cell as he usually did, but this was unusual, because it was 4 am there. I couldn't make out what he was saying, because the reception was poor. I lost him, and couldn't reach him back after trying twice.
Later on I found out Patrick wanted me to hear Fred's cries. I'd known about Fred & his testicular hernia for the better part of a week, and Patrick - not to induce guilt- but because he knows I care, that I trust him, and that I needed to know the severity of the situation. That was outside the box for Patrick, an incredibly soft-spoken young man barely past twenty, already called 'papa' by 49 children in the home he'd purchased with a large donation after he'd been evicted from an apartment (a stranger/tourist.passer-by helped him into). He'd been caring for 8 kids at the time he got word a will left $30,000 to a good cause. It met a 17 year old who'd been living on the streets (before the apartment). He bought a house with a bit of property, built a wall around it, and as many triple-decker bunk beds as he could fit. It now sleeps 49! |
Fred's hernia was repaired thanks to sweet donors!
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