the significance of a dress

Over the past month, I have had the incredible blessing to care for women with obstetric fistulas. This group of patients has been heavy on my heart since the moment I read about their condition before leaving for Togo. 

The majority of cases we see are VVF's (vesico-vaginal fistulas), of which there is a fistula, or hole, between the bladder and vagina, causing constant leaking of urine from the vagina.  There are also women with recto-vaginal fistulas, in which both stool (from the rectum) and urine leak uncontrollably.  These fistulas occur almost always as a result of prolonged, untreated, obstructed labor during childbirth.  The prolonged labor can last anywhere from 2-10 days, and the infant's head presses against tissues, causing them to die from lack of blood supply, creating these openings to occur.  In some cultures it is a sign of weakness if a woman needs to go to a hospital for childbirth, in other cases they just cannot make it to a hospital that will help them in time, or cannot afford the care.  This can also occur as a result of marriage and conception at a young age (13-15 years) before the pelvis is fully developed.  In about 95% of these cases, the baby dies during labor and the woman is often left unable to produce children again.  Many times, the husband and/or other children of the woman will disown her as she smells of urine constantly, and she is ostracized and cast out of her community. Alone, ashamed, and devastated.

Our team leader, Karin, who is so amazing and educated on VVF ladies, shared a story with us just prior to screening day for the ladies.  She told us about a previous patient who had read about this story in the Bible:


Luke 8:40-49

[40] Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. [41] Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house [42] because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. [43] And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. [44] She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
[45] "Who touched me?" Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."
[46] But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."
[47] Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. [48] Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

The patient told her story after finally finding help for her problem.  She had been leaking urine and had prayed and prayed for many years for a cure.  She had felt like giving up and just really felt that this story was significant and felt she needed to pray for at least 12 years as this woman in the Bible had suffered for the same amount of time. She stated that she stood there in the 12th month of her 12th year and was finally dry (not leaking anymore).  There was not a dry eye in the place, and there wasn't a dry eye as Karin retold the story to us new VVF nurses. What a blessing to relieve these women of their years of pain! We got to pray for all the ladies on our list for screening day together.

Meeting the ladies has been an even bigger privilege than I could have ever imagined! They come to the wards with faces that reveal years of shame and solitude.  They are uncertain, scared, and rarely smile. After surgery, some healing, prayer, worship, and lots and lots of hugs, they start smiling and their personalities emerge.  These ladies are among the most beautiful, patient, loving, incredible women I have ever met.  Never before have I felt so much love just from walking into a room and seeing beaming smiles and waves accompanied by genuine, strong embraces.

 When they are "dry" (no longer leaking), we have a dress ceremony for them.  Our amazing patient life coordinator, Clementine, buys dresses for them, they get done up with new dresses, jewelry, and makeup, and parade down the hall singing worship songs and beaming from ear to ear.  The joy is palpable.  They tell their testimonies, are gifted with symbolic items, and we celebrate their lives and the bright future ahead. There is no way to experience this and not be moved to tears. They are so deserving of happiness, good health, love, and of course, new dresses.