Mich was grinning as we left the dentist's office yesterday, February 2nd, after his 5th visit. Why? "He didn't pull any teeth!" I'm not surprised: at his last 3 visits over the last 3 weeks, 6 teeth have been pulled. Some were broken off and not easy to remove. It was very hard on Mich.
Mich has lived with us since shortly after the earthquake last January. His mother is very poor. When we first saw Mich in 2007 he was extremely malnourished. His bones and teeth were affected.
The only time he cried in fear since coming here was the night before his first major tests at school in December. Once I assured him that we don't beat children for bad grades he was fine. Heartbreaking that a child would expect abuse for less than perfect performance but that is not uncommon in Haiti!
Speaking of school, Mich is in first grade at a Christian school nearby. In this country where less than half of all children go to school, ever, that is amazing. More amazing is how seriously he takes his schooling. We often see him working on his lessons with the nannies.
Despite all the hard knocks Mich has faced in his life he faces every difficulty with a courage that blows me away. How many 14 yr old boys would go to the dentist knowing that several teeth were going to be pulled without a word of complaint! I think I would whine at the very least.
Mich's courage blows me away but God's care for him is even more awesome. The great Lord God of the universe saw this little boy in Haiti and had me leave a good job and home to come to Haiti to help him. Praise the Lord!
Dr. Mondestin explains to Mich what is going to happen and why.
Mich gets his teeth cleaned for the first time in his life at his first dentist'svisit on Jan 6, 2011.
Dr. Mondestin is also trained in orthodontics
Mich's teeth were damaged by malnutrition. Here is a copy of his dental treatment plan.
Despite everything, Mich has a smile that proclaims his joy in life
Mich's ribcage was dangerously narrow
Mich had 21 badly healed broken bones
Mich July 2007, 10 yrs old
