2010 August 15: Last Minute Mission

On the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, the team embarked on an early trip to Quezon City to attend Holy Mass at Our Lady of Victories' Church. Upon arrival at the Church gate, the group met a man shivering from fever. He showed the infected wound on his fingers and proceeded to explain that he was bitten by a rabid dog which had died some days after having bitten him. Having ran out of money, he was only able to get one anti-rabies shot, and had missed his subsequent shots. The poor man had gone begging around Quezon City, and had come knocking at the Church gate to try his luck. Dr. Dichard took some antibiotics from his bag to give to the man for his infected wound.

After the Holy Mass, the group split. One team went to St. Luke's Hospital to visit the two mission volunteers from Canada and France who were confined due to dengue fever. Another team took the dog-bitten man to San Lazaro Hospital where he had first received his anti-rabies shot.

The doctor there was not happy with the condition of the man whose time was running out, having been bitten one month ago already, and he ordered an emergency treatment for the man. After paying for his shots, the team left him in the hospital to start the long trip back to Tanay.

The very grateful man promised to pray for the benefactors who made the mission possible. He promised to offer prayers for the sick volunteers who were still in the hospital, particularly for the mission director, who was also sick in a hospital in Singapore.