My name is Carmelite, and I’ve been working with RHFH since 2004. In nearly twenty years, I’ve held many roles here – receptionist, chart maker, file keeper, the person who helps patients flow smoothly through the clinic, handling paperwork and money. But the role that has shaped me most deeply is being a health agent, walking alongside tuberculosis patients through their treatment journey. And Rosemene’s story is one I will carry in my heart forever.

I first heard about Rosemene in 2015. She was 33 years old and desperately ill. A persistent cough. Flu-like symptoms that wouldn’t go away. Severe weight loss that made her look like a shadow of herself. Her family had already spent a lot of money trying to get help from traditional healers because they didn’t believe this was an illness that doctors could treat. But nothing was working. She was getting worse.

When I went to visit her and saw how sick she really was, I knew we had to act. I talked to her family, encouraged them, and finally convinced them to bring her to our clinic. I could see the fear in their eyes, but I could also see they were desperate. They were ready to try.

When Rosemene arrived at the clinic, we suspected tuberculosis immediately. As a health agent, part of my role is to accompany patients to the treatment center for testing and to begin their medication. I knew what I had to do. I prepared to take her on the three-hour journey.

But what happened on that trip changed me.

Somewhere along the way, Rosemene lost consciousness. She stopped responding. In the vehicle, watching her body go limp, I was terrified. I started crying. I started praying out loud: “Jesus, Jesus, please do not let her die now. If she dies here, what will I do?” I felt so helpless. But by the grace of God – and I truly believe this – she came back. She regained consciousness.

We made it to the treatment center, and the tests confirmed what we suspected: tuberculosis. The results were positive all her sputum samples. When I heard that confirmation, I didn’t feel despair. I felt gratitude. In my heart, I knew God had given her a second chance at life. That moment in the vehicle could have been the end. But it wasn’t.

At that time, TB treatment took nine months. Nine months of taking medication every single day. Nine months of side effects, of fatigue, of wondering if she would make it. And that’s where I came in as her accompanier.

Throughout those nine months, I regularly visited Rosemene. I checked on her. I made sure she was taking her medicine – really taking it, not just saying she was. I encouraged her when the treatment got hard. I listened when she was discouraged. I celebrated small victories with her. I was there because I knew that consistency and support could mean the difference between recovery and relapse, between life and death.

And after nine months, Rosemene was healed. Completely healed. The TB was gone.

Today, she is a mother of two beautiful children. And I have the profound honor of being the godmother to one of them. Every time I see that child, I see Rosemene’s survival. I see God’s grace. I see what happens when someone fights for their life and someone else fights alongside them.

Rosemene is now 43 years old. She often tells me that she’s alive for three reasons: first, because of God; second, because of the RHFH clinic and the quality care it provides; and third, because I accompanied and supported her through her most difficult journey.

When she says that, I’m humbled. I’m grateful. And I’m reminded every single day why I do this work.

I’ve been here since 2004. I’ve seen countless lives transformed. I’ve watched people come in at death’s door and walk out healthy. I’ve seen families reunited, children grow up with their mothers, communities strengthened. It’s hard to even count how many lives would have been lost without this clinic.

I’m proud to be part of this team. I’m grateful for the care and dedication of every staff member here. And I’m committed to continuing this work – accompanying patients, supporting their treatment, noticing when someone is struggling, encouraging them forward, and celebrating their victories as if they were my own.

Because they are. Rosemene is living proof of what’s possible when we show up, stay faithful, and believe in someone’s ability to heal.