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For immediate release:  June 11 , 2007 (Clyde, NC)

Nurse & Doctor Tag Team to Help Child In Ethiopia

By Marian Larson

You know it's a small world when you and a friend just happen to know the same eight year-old in Ethiopia.

Such is the case with Angela Payne, a nurse with the Women's Care Center at Haywood Regional Medical Center, and Dr. Jon White, former head of HRMC's hospitalist department.

The story really began last year, when Payne went to Ethiopia on a medical outreach trip. There she met Queenie, an eight-year-old with AIDS whose mother had died from the disease three years earlier. It was evident that Queenie was not receiving reliable medical care in her rural village.

Remembered Payne: "This little girl touched my heart more deeply than I could ever describe. She was just truly special. And I felt that she needed to be put under consistent care. I could only sob as I was telling this little girl goodbye."

Meanwhile, White and his family were preparing for their move to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to work a three-year stint in an HIV/AIDS clinic. They left Haywood County earlier this year and are now settling into their new life.

Since White has arrived in Ethiopia, Payne worked from the states to set up an appointment for Queenie in White's clinic. She succeeded and was even able to send some money to Queenie's family to cover their travel expenses.

On June 22, Payne will fly to Addis Ababa to join them for a time, after which she will spend several weeks in Uganda on other medical outreach work.

"It is extremely humbling to be exposed to people with need. Everyone matters - whether in your community or in another country," she said.  Being a medical professional and world traveler has familiarized Payne with the obvious manifestations of AIDS. When she saw Queenie for the first time, she knew almost immediately that the little girl was sick with the disease.

"She appeared to be six years old, not eight, and she had a swollen belly and postules on her face," Payne recalled.

Queenie lives with her father, but because the father works full-time, she often spends many hours home alone and does not attend school. Also, travel from  heir village to the capital for medical care is cost-prohibitive for the family.

Ethiopia is not the first place where Payne has witnessed extreme suffering. The nurse has taken numerous Christian mission trips to such diverse places as Romania, China, the former Soviet Union, the Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. She's worked in orphanages, children's camps, and helped train nursing students all over the world.

"The first time I got my passport stamped, it changed my life. It gave me a vision beyond myself," she said.

Aside from traveling, Payne has many other interests, including gardening, spending time with her five nieces and nephews, and writing. She recently received strong interest on the part of a publisher for a children's book she has written.

Payne has served with the Women's Care department since January 2004 and strongly believes that HRMC typifies what a community hospital should be - a place that values family. 

"There are so many people in this hospital that are just good. That is what drew me here. I've worked in bigger hospitals, but here there is a real sense of community," she said.

HRMC is involved in sending goods with Payne for the White family's HIV/AIDS work. At this point, monetary donations are what are most needed. Tax-deductible donations can be made to:

Integrity Worldwide
1514 Moores Ferry Road
Selma, AL 36701
Attention AP

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