Talita's life is different from most girls her age because of a deadly pandemic sweeping through the South Pacific. Find out how you can make a difference in this region of the world.
SAVING TEN THOUSAND TOES
- Solomon Islands
Female voice (in English but needs subtitle)
“Yeah, I think my life would be different from another person my age because I have more responsibilities than them. And sometimes I don't go out much with friends. I just stay at home and look after my mom. So yeah, I don't do most things girls my age would do.”
A deadly pandemic is sweeping across the South Pacific, where the world’s highest incidence of type 2 diabetes is found. In the Solomon Islands alone, 60% of hospital beds are occupied by diabetic patients. For many of them, diabetes leads to serious complications, such as amputation and blindness. Today, 80 people will have an amputation in this region--that’s one amputation every 10 minutes.
female voice - add subtitles)
“I had this itchiness on my ankle. I thought,“It's just a little sore, but it gradually grew. So I was taken to the hospital. That's when they found out that I had diabetes. I can't move anywhere; my feet is not level. When they took off the toes, my feet sort of doesn't balance. In 2014, that's when my eyesight got worse. I can’t see properly.”
“Now that my mom is blind, I'm the one who does the cooking and the cleaning and everything around the house. So basically, my daily life is just looking after my mom, and it's usually me who looks after my brothers and my sisters. So I'm kind of partially taking my mom's responsibility as a mother. Sometimes I might think of it as a burden, but then I just realize that I have no choice.”
Like Telita, many people in the South Pacific are at risk of losing their toes, their sight, or even their lives to type 2 diabetes. But the Seventh-day Adventist Church is determined to do something about it.
Adventist Health and ADRA have partnered to launch the public health campaign called “The 10,000 Toes.” The campaign seeks to save the lives and limbs of people affected by this tragic disease through a multi-stage approach.
This quarter, a portion of your 13th Sabbath Offerings will support the “The 10,000 Toes” campaign. It will also construct studios for Hope TV and radio in the island of Tonga and assist in the production of a 13-part animated series for children following the adventures of Daniel and his three friends. Please pray for the South Pacific Division, and thank you for your support of the 13th Sabbath Offering.
