Billy, a victim of cruelty finds acceptance in US

Sep 06, 2006

One hot afternoon, as Billy walked on the sidewalk of Main Street in Jinja town in the company of Kathleen Larmon, his guardian, pedestrians stared at him with sympathy, while others narrowed their eyes.

By Moses Nampala

One hot afternoon, as Billy walked on the sidewalk of Main Street in Jinja town in the company of Kathleen Larmon, his guardian, pedestrians stared at him with sympathy, while others narrowed their eyes.

But the five-year-old ignored them. Truly, there is something odd about him. His little cheerful face is covered with scars.

At a tender age of five, a sizeable proportion of his head is bald. Billy is a victim of cruelty. He was barely six days old in 2001, when his mother poured hot water on him. She then abandoned him by the roadside in Kasangati, around 10 miles from Kampala.

“Billy is still on treatment at Shriners Burns Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It will take time to correct his dis-figured facial features,” says Larmon.

In April 2006, Larmon along with Billy, visited Welcome Home in Jinja, in order to formalise his (Billy) custody with the authorities there.
During an interview with Larmon recently, it was clear to notice that the bondage between Larmon and Billy surpasses their racial difference.

At one moment, Billy tugged at Larmon’s dress then burst into a deafening playful noise.

“Billy, will you stop interrupting us,” said Larmon in a tender voice. He stopped for a while, but when Larmon looked away, he resumed. When her gaze drifted on him, he muttered defensively, “Mum I’m not shouting” both mother and son burst into a hearty laugh.

Her pride for the little boy touches me when she says: “Billy is such a blessing to me.” An introductory letter dated April 12, 2006, by Dr. Daniel Driscoll, a plastic surgeon at Shriners Burns Hospital, Boston, USA, says: “Billy has to undergo more surgeries for the next 10 years.

He faces many surgical procedures to improve his appearance as he grows. The hospital has offered to provide Billy with in and out patient care at no cost until he is 21 years old.”

On April 27 2006, High Court judge Remmy Kasule approved an application filed by Larmon in which she sought guardianship of Billy.

“The court is satisfied that the applicant Kathleen Larmon be appointed guardian of Billy because its essential to his welfare. The applicant is to live with the infant in USA and she is ultimately to adopt him,” Kasule ruled.

Until 2003, Billy was among the 60 neglected children taken in by Mandy Sydo an American national. Sydo took over management in 2003 after the sudden death of the founder of the home, Jacqueline Hodgkin (fondly known as Mommy Jackie).

Shortly before her death, Jackie had travelled to America with Billy, after making earlier arrangements with Larmon to book Billy in for an operation at Shriners Burns Hospital.

Staring at Billy closely, you wonder how he survived loosing his sight. Tracing the scar on his face, the water swirled down his fore head circling his eyes, ploughing further down his nostrils, temple, mouth, chin and hands.

Despite the disfigured face, Billy still beams with smiles.

William Edema, the Welcome Home Ministries manager says he received a call about Billy in 2001 from the Probation Office in Kampala.

“The caller was seeking to know whether Mommy Jackie would take in an abandoned six-day-old. She consented, and immediately, left for Mulago Hospital to collect the infant” Edema says.

“His head was badly scalded and the wounds had become septic. His left nostril was punctured, while the upper lip was partially severed off. Swellings caused by insect bites were all over his body,” Edema says.

According to the Police statement recorded by Kasangati local authorities, Billy’s redeemer was a pedestrian who was going about his business.

He heard strange wails of a baby, which startled him. He found Billy in the over-grown grass by the road side.

Instinctively, he felt compelled to touch the child. Billy had been wrapped in a rag. The morning dew had covered him and he was shivering. The man handed over the baby to the local authorities, who took him to the Police and later to Mulago Hospital.

Jackie and Edema took Billy to Jinja, where he was immediately admitted to Jinja Hospital.

Jane Mukyala, a senior caretaker at Welcome Home Ministries, says she stood at Billy’s hospital bed with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Shortly after Billy’s arrival at the home, he slipped into coma. He spent six month on life support in hospital,” says Mukyala.

However, Dr. Dean Ahimbisibwe, who was treating Billy, said: “Billy was not in coma, but was in a state of numbness. Because the injury inflicted on him was enormous for his age,”
Mukyala says they lost hope after nurses claimed they could not feel Billy’s pulse, but Jackie insisted that a priest had to be brought in to administer the last rite before the life support system could be turned off.

Mukyala says just as a prayer was being said for Billy, he opened his eyes and shook his head. “The moment we saw him move, for the first time in six months, we knew there was hope,” she adds. Billy remained on life support for some time and began to improve and later started to frolic and chatter like any other child his age. “It was a miracle,” Mukyala says.

Billy’s wounds healed and he was discharged from hospital, but part of the skin on his face fused on the scalp.

The hospitals in Uganda could not graft Billy’s face, so Jackie asked Larmon to book Billy in for an operation at Shriners Burns Hospital, USA.

At the end of May 2003, Jackie and Billy went to the US. They temporarily stayed at Larmon’s home. However, weeks later, Jackie died of cancer after a six-week illness.

It was heart-breaking that Jackie did not live to realise her dream of seeing Billy's face restored. Billy was left under the custody of Larmon.

The USA immigration office, had granted Billy a temporary stay in America, from July 2003 up to February 2006.

“I had to travel to Uganda and renew Billy’s stay in the US. I have lived with Billy for some time and look forward to adopting him. I want him to be my son,” Larmon says.

Larmon, a single mother, living with three other adopted children adds: “Billy has adjusted well with my other adopted children. They like him. It’s like he was born in our family.”

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