TODAY news - November 20, 2003 - School of Medicine news

Thursday, November 20, 2003 TODAY

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The story of a medical student giving hope to Ethiopians

The story of a medical student giving hope to Ethiopians

The children in Asela, Ethiopia, wave goodbye while running to try to keep up with Andrew and Nuramen’s car.

Catching waves, snowboarding, and mountain biking are just a few of his favorite past times, but Andrew Barnett,

second-year medical student, has more than a wild heart—he has a compassionate heart, too.

Walking into his home, you would feel like you are almost in a faraway land as an Ethiopian ambience furnishes his living room. Amongst the many keepsakes from the country is an oil painting that he purchased from an Ethiopian artist now hanging on his wall, a genuine Mancala game that sits on the table, and the scent of freshly ground Ethiopian coffee beans saturating the air. A map of the world is tacked onto the wall with a couple photographs that he and his roommate put up. Mr. Barnett’s picture is of a special little Ethiopian boy named Nuramen Gamechu.

Flying to Ethiopia has been a common destination for Mr. Barnett, recently. With more than 2 million people in Ethiopia living with HIV or AIDS, you might wonder why he has visited this country twice in the past year and a half. But, that’s part of the reason—to help those who are inflicted by disease and impoverishment.

“I like to be as much help as I can,” says Mr. Barnett, “but I feel like I benefit more than they do.”

Although a little camera shy, Nuramen Gamechu (left) clings to Mr. Barnett, second-year medical student, the whole time they are together.

Despite the common images of Ethiopia struck with famine and disease in a dry desert, the country actually boasts extraordinary culture, history, and natural beauty. Tourist books describe a visit to the country as stepping back a thousand years.

“In Gimbie, where I was at for a month,” explains Mr. Barnett, “the hills are super green and there are lots of trees. It’s not like how I envisioned it to be.

“Ethiopia is a good place to go,” he adds. “It’s a pretty big country and people are really friendly. They make you feel welcome.”

This last summer, he spent a few weeks on a mission trip to provide medical aid at Gimbie Seventh-day Adventist Hospital. A hot 12-hour bus ride stretched between Addis Abba, the capital city where his plane landed, and Gimbie. “Ethiopians have a myth that if wind is blown in your face, you’ll get a cold,” explains Mr. Barnett. “So it was really hot in the bus because all the windows were shut.”

Once in Gimbie, he spent his days making rounds with the doctors at the hospital. “Diabetes is a pretty big problem because people can’t afford insulin,” he explains while reminiscing about a 17-year-old girl with diabetes.

“Her family was really poor,” explains Mr. Barnett. “They weren’t able to pay her hospital bills, so the family left to roust up some money while she was at the hospital.”

After a week, her family still had not come back, so the hospital sent her home with a month’s supply of insulin. Mr. Barnett bought her an additional month’s supply, as well.

When not at the hospital, Mr. Barnett played his guitar and sang with the other missionaries, hiked in the mountains, and played with the Ethiopian children.

During his first mission trip to Ethiopia, Mr. Barnett provides medical aid at his cousin’s health clinic.

After a month in Gimbie, he ventured on his own to a town called Asela, traveling two days by bus. There, he met the special little boy—Nuramen Gamechu, whose picture hangs by the map on Mr. Barnett’s wall at home.

About a year and half ago, Mr. Barnett starting sponsoring him through Compassion Inter-national, a Christian child development organization.

Nuramen is 12 years old and lives with his brother and sisters. Both his mom and dad died of AIDS. But, he is very thankful for Mr. Barnett, or “father,” as Nuramen calls him. Mr. Barnett pays the $28 a month so that Nuramen can receive food, clothes, a Christian education, health care, and learn about God. They even write each other back and forth. In last year’s Christmas letter, Nuramen wrote:

Dear Andrew Barnett,

How are you? Praise God I am alright. How was the new year? We had a nice Christmas time here. I hope you do so.

I received 128.37 Ethiopian Birr you had sent for Christmas. With the money, I bought bed sheets, blanket, and body cream. Thank you very much. Dear Andrew, I am waiting for your response eagerly.

Till then, have a nice time.

Nuramen Gamechu

This last summer, they actually got to meet face to face. When Mr. Barnett got to Nuramen’s school, all the kids were still in class. So the administrator gave him a presentation of how the Compassion site runs. In the middle of the presentation, Nuramen came in.

“He ran up to me, jumped up, and gave me a big hug,” says Mr. Barnett. “I almost started crying.”

Nuramen greeted Mr. Barnett by saying, “Hello, Abba!” and continued clinging to his “father” the whole time Mr. Barnett visited him.

Not only was Nuramen excited, but all 200 children at the Compassion site in Asela were smiling and giggling with happiness. Mr. Barnett was the first sponsor to visit that particular location, and when he and Nuramen walked out of the administration office, all the kids were waiting eagerly outside.

Mr. Barnett’s cousin, a missionary in Ethiopia, talked to them in their native tongue. “When she would talk to them, all the kids would shout out the answer in unison,” he says.

After visiting with all the kids, it was time to go to Nuramen’s house and meet his family. “When we left to go, all the kids were running to keep up with our car,” describes Mr. Barnett.

Nuramen’s house is nicer than most Ethiopians. It has a cement floor rather than dirt, and rock walls as opposed to mud and sticks. His father worked for the government and made more money than the average person. But, when his father died, there was no longer an income to support the kids. So Nuramen and his little sister were put on the Compassion list to be sponsored.

“Nuramen seems kind of like me,” says Mr. Barnett. “A quiet guy, but still likes to hang out with friends and be active.”

Mr. Barnett heard about the opportunity to sponsor a child while attending a concert in college a couple years ago. Not only did he decide to sponsor a child, but he got his parents to do it as well.

During his first visit to Ethiopia in April, 2002, Mr. Barnett provided medical aid at his cousin’s health clinic, and he and his mom visited his parents’ sponsored child.

For more information about sponsoring a child through Compassion International, you may contact the organization at (800) 336-7676 or visit their website at <www.compassion.com>.

In the meantime, Mr. Barnett takes study breaks by catching waves and mountain biking...and giving hope to his special little Ethiopian boy.

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Thursday, November 20, 2003 TODAY