"He Was Never Forgotten"
Uncle Lane has been one of the patients we have cared for and followed up with for quite some time. We first began helping him with food and basic supplies when he was living with his second family—his wife and daughter. Life was very difficult for the family, and eventually his wife left him. Sadly, his daughter later passed away with rabies after being bitten by a dog.
Uncle Lane lived alone for some time before moving to a monastery. After about seven months, he disappeared, and we were unable to find him. Just before Christmas, we found him again by the roadside. He was extremely weak and dehydrated. We brought him back and helped him recover from his illness.
After that, he moved from one house to another, staying with people he knew. We wanted him to have a more stable and secure place to live, so in April we decided to build a small shelter for him. We also tried to help him obtain health insurance so that he could access proper medical treatment. He has hypertension, and his right leg is disabled because of an old injury.
Uncle Lane stayed in his new shelter for about a month. Then we learned that his son was taking him to Burma to live with the family. Although we were sad to see him leave, we believed it was best for him to be cared for by his closest family. We allowed him to go, hoping that he would be well cared for. We missed him dearly. During his absence, several people asked if they could use his shelter, but we decided to keep it available because we had a feeling that one day he might return.
After waiting for about three months, Uncle Lane came back from Burma. His immediate family was no longer able to care for him because of their own family difficulties. Once again, we rejoiced to see him return—almost like welcoming a lost family member home.
As soon as he arrived, we took him to the hospital because his blood pressure was dangerously high at 182/97 mmHg. Thankfully, he received treatment and is now happily living in his shelter again. His neighbours are also lovingly helping to care for him.
We thank God for giving us the opportunity to care for Uncle Lane. His journey has reminded us that God never forgets those who are vulnerable and alone. We are grateful that Uncle Lane is safe, has a place to call home, and continues to experience the love of God through the care of the people around him.
Posted by Mehm Tun Min Aye
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