112
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113
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and his energy in all aspects of life really encouraged me to
well as allowing allow the students a platform to perform
accompanied by joint pain and a heart murmur. This might
that almost one in a one hundred Fijian children have this
make the most of my placement and I returned to South
traditional dances and songs in front of their peers. When
sound benign, but the long-term consequence is severe, a
disease. And just like that, a little girl was condemned with
Africa even more motivated than when I had first arrived.
I arrived I was so keen to make a difference through my
chronic, inflammatory disease of the valves of the heart
a disabling diagnosis and years of regular, painful injections
The majority of our work was focused around English,
teaching, but by the time I left I realised that in many ways
that can result in heart failure, infection of the heart values,
in a country where heart surgery must be reserved for a
both teaching in the classroom and improving both the
my interaction with the students and teachers outside the
stroke and death.
handful of the sickest children.
teachers’ and students’ English just by interacting with
classroom was just as important as my role as a teacher.
them. We also helped with ‘Life Orientation’ and a few
Today, in the West, rheumatic fever and rheumatic
With my team of Fijian research assistants I travelled,
As well as working in our schools all of the volunteers
heart disease are almost forgotten; however, in the
each day to two clinics in the Rewa subdivision. In all,
other subjects here and there, including one occasion
spent two afternoons a week in the local
sos Village
Developing World, rheumatic heart disease remains an
my team searched through almost 50,000 health records
when I found myself alone teaching an impromptu lesson
orphanage. The orphanage was made up of ten houses
important cause of suffering, disability and death, afflicting
to look for children that might have been affected by
on magnetism to Grade 7—a bit of a shock to the system !
each with a ‘Mother’ and up to ten children. I was assigned
young adults in their most economically productive years of
rheumatic fever. Accurately diagnosing rheumatic fever is
However, as soon as I revealed that I was a music graduate I
to House 1 which was made up of the Mother and six
life. Indeed, worldwide, more people show at least the early
fundamental to any effort to control rheumatic heart dis-
found myself teaching music to Grades 4 up to 9, as nobody
children aged between 3 and 12. They became my family.
stages of rheumatic heart disease than are infected with
ease because once the diagnosis is made, treatment with
on the staff was able to understand most of the music
Our role was to help the children with their homework and
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the tuberculosis bacteria.
antibiotics can be started before the heart is damaged,
syllabus, let alone teach it. This involved both teaching the
take some pressure off the Mothers. I really loved working
This summer, supported by the
irreversibly. Every child, in whom a
students and also one of the teachers so that she could
in the orphanage because it gave me the opportunity to
Bevir Memorial Trust, I and others,
doctor or nurse suspects rheumatic
continue to teach music once I had left. We formed a very
form deep relationships with a small number of children,
including those sponsored by the
fever, needs proper examination and
strong relationship with this particular teacher and she
something that had been far more difficult in school.
uk
Wellcome Trust, spent my seven week
blood testing, something we in the
invited Charlie and I to go to church with her and spend the
I always thought that when people said that
medical elective—an opportunity for
would take for granted. Nevertheless,
day with her f