Tooseng 3/15/08

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Sharon and I drove up to Tooseng to begin weighing, measuring heights, and testing hemoglobin levels(for anemia) of the children in the orphan care project. We are gathering this data to evaluate the physical progress of the children in the project. In three days were were able to examine 105 children. Of these children we found that 6% of them were anemic. We will be providing these children with iron tablets to help restore their bodies iron levels to appropriate levels.

One 16 year old girl's hemoglobin level is 7.5. It should be at least 12. So, this is actually a very dangerous level. These tests that we did very well could have saved her life. I will be taking her to the clinic in the village on Thursday. They will probably do some more testing to determine the exact cause of the anemia because it could come from a parasite or other diseases besides the body just not absorping iron correctly. I will keep you posted about this case.

Sharon, who has trained me, will be heading back to the states tomorrow. So, I will have the task of completing these tests on the rest of the 230 kids in the orphan care project. I think I will recruit the peace corps volunteer who arrives tomorrow to help me with this.