Reaching the Light in Mongolia
Partnering with NGO Reaching the Light, MAF provides a medical lifeline to children with disabilities living in the most remote parts of Mongolia.
People requiring specialist medical care need to head straight to the country’s capital, but poor quality roads and the vast mountainous landmass make access to the city of Ulaanbaatar a continual challenge.
Flying with MAF (operating as Blue Sky Aviation), families are able to overcome these enormous barriers.
Assessing the children’s disabilities
Taking place in Mongolia’s isolated Gobi Altai province, 47 young children gather to meet with staff from Reaching the Light. They were there to assess the children’s different disabilities and see what possible assistance they could provide at their base back in Ulaanbaatar.
Flown to Gobi Altai by MAF, the developmental screenings and consultations lasted two days. Dr. Oyunchimeg, the local Head of Paediatrics, reported that some of the children and their relatives had travelled up to eight hours to be seen by the staff from Reaching the Light. Their stories had two familiar themes; the youngsters were unable to walk, talk or even play like other children their age and they had never undergone therapy of any kind.
21 year-old never able to sit up
One such ‘child’ was a 21 year-old lady, Oyontoya, who had spent all of her life either lying on her side or sitting up in a twisted position with her mother’s help. She was brought on a stretcher because her muscles were so tight that she could not be seated in any wheelchair.
The Reaching the Light team immediately felt that this young woman would be a helped to relax and stretch her muscles by the therapy offered at their centre. What a joy it would be for her to sit up for the first time! But, of course, she could never make the 24 hour trip to Ulaanbaatar by car. Blue Sky Aviation’s services became the lifeline that meant the difference between her being able to receive the treatment or not.
Two-year old unable to walk
The last child seen on the second day was two-year old Sogarbaatar. Bright and active, he had never walked because his leg muscles were tight and caused his legs to turn in. When the team told his mother that he could learn to walk through the aid of special exercises and equipment she seemed so hopeful.
As they discussed when he could commence this in Ulaanbaatar, the mother fell quiet for a moment and then voiced her concern, “He needs the help now! Couldn’t we start immediately?” Fortunately for Sogarbaatar, there was space on the plane going back from Altai, news which saw the mother dissolve into tears.
True hope received
Sogarbaatar came to Ulaanbaatar with his grandmother, who learned to do all of his exercises during their two-week session with Reaching the Light. She acquired something else though, that was personally life-changing for her; she heard about the God who loves her so much, He sent His son to die for her. During the time that the staff spent with the grandmother, she was able to put her trust in Jesus as her Saviour!
At the end of their time at the centre, the staff held a seminar for health professionals who are interested in caring for children with special needs. Sogarbaatar showed the seminar participants what he had learned during his time with Reaching the Light. He got up and walked with a walker in front of them all! Then, to everyone’s surprise, Sogarbaatar’s grandmother got up spontaneously to address the gathering, saying that her grandson was now walking but she herself felt that through this experience she has received the very best therapy of all!