One afternoon in the tiny emergency room of this rural village hospital, a young mother burst in, carrying her wailing 18-month old son, Raj. The toddler was inconsolable, burning with fever, and limp from dehydration.

Dr. Stephen, a surgeon, uttered a prayer for wisdom to care for the child, a task outside the expertise of his training. He examined the boy, whose heart rate had climbed to 230! Questioning the mother, he sought any clue that might reveal the problem. Finally she mentioned Raj had been playing with Dhatura seeds.

Suddenly everything made sense! The agitation, fever, dilated pupils, and racing heart—all were signs of deadly Dhatura poisoning. Raj needed treatment or he would die.

Sadly, LCH is not an advanced medical facility and normally would not treat a child in this condition. A decision had to be made—transfer Raj to a bigger hospital far away in such a fragile state, or attempt to treat him immediately. With his mother, the decision was made to keep him at Lakhnadon. The team pumped his stomach and gave him medication for the fever. But Raj’s condition stubbornly refused to yield.

Turning to a simple solution, the team relentlessly sponged the boy for two solid days. Their skill, vigilance, compassion, and faith worked hand in hand. Everyone joined the fight to bring Raj back. Slowly, his symptoms abated. On the third morning, Raj sat up and asked for chai! His mother wept with relief and gratitude.

Dr. Stephen explained that while they had treated the boy, God did the healing.

This is why LCH must continue to function right where it is. If the hospital had not been there, Raj would almost certainly have died. And thousands of other poor Indians urgently need the care our teams provide at this hospital.