Nathaniel receives special visitor before heart ops

The National People
Nathaniel Romen and the prime minister’s wife Rachael Marape at the children’s play station just before his operation.
Nathaniel Romen watches as nurse Rodney Gerson ties the wristband before going for his operation on Tuesday as mom Jenifer looks on.

By LULU MARK
NINE-year-old Nathaniel was different from the rest of his brothers and sisters. He required his parents’ attention most of the time.
He was a child whose mother would do anything to ensure he gets what he needs to continue living.
Nathaniel is the second youngest to the six children born to Jennifer Romen from Margarima in Hela and Roman Kem from Nipa in Southern Highlands.
Jennifer and Roman serve as pastors in the Good News Gospel church in their village.
Nathaniel was born on May 27, 2010 in the village.
The first time he visited the hospital was when he was around three weeks old. Mum Jennifer took him to hospital when he saw him coughing.
It was the first of many visits to the hospital. His parents were told that it was not just a common bout of coughing that many children suffer from. It was more to that.
Mum Jenifer was told at the hospital that there was a white substance covering Nathaniel’s chest.
He was admitted at the hospital for about three months.
After being on medication with various tests conducted on him, it was revealed that the little boy had a problem with his heart.
For nine years, he struggled to live with the congenital heart condition. He was put on medication at a very young age.
“From Nipa I would take him to Hagen Hospital and even to Lae for his medication. My little boy is a sick child and needed medication to survive. Sometimes the medicine he needs would be out of stock in Mendi. That means I must travel to Hagen Hospital to buy it from the pharmacies.”
Jennifer told of how testing and challenging life was then for her as a mother.
“The last nine years have been really challenging for me as a mother.”
Sometimes she would not have the money to make those trips. But somehow through the grace of God she would make it to get her son’s medicine.
In July last year when she took Nathaniel to a clinic in Lae, the doctors recommended that Nathaniel have heart surgery. The surgery would be done at the Port Moresby General Hospital under the Operation Open Heart (OOH) programme.
“My son had this disease before I gave birth to him. He was born with it and he lived with it for so long. It was hard for him as well as me and the entire family.
“For me as his mother knowing that his condition can be fixed is good news and I am very happy. My prayer has been answered. I praise my God and thank him for this opportunity. My son will no longer be sick.”
Their tickets were paid for by the Mendi Hospital. They flew to Port Moresby last Monday.

Nathaniel Romen (middle) with his mom Jenifer and nurse Rodney Gerson.

Nathaniel had his operation on Tuesday and is recovering at the Port Moresby hospital.
Nathaniel is one of the 12 children to undergo operation.
It is an annual programme run in collaboration with the Open Heart International (OIH) team from Australia. It started in 1993 and this is the 28th visit.
When his nurse came to take him to the operating theatre on Tuesday, Nathaniel excitedly extended his wrist and watched as the nurse tied a band on his wrist which had his details on. He did not show any fear.
When it was time for his operation, he walked with his mother and the nurse to the theatre. At the door, he cried but quickly stopped and walked in.
Maybe he wanted to stay strong for his mother who had been caring for him for the past nine years.
He changed into the operating theatre gown and played with toys at the play station while waiting for his turn.
While at the play station, a special visitor walked in to pray for him and wish him well for the operation.
It was Prime Minister James Marape’s wife Rachael.

“ For me as his mother knowing that his condition can be fixed is good news and I am very happy. My prayer has been answered. I praise my God and thank him for this opportunity. My son will no longer be sick.”

She had heard about the OOH operations and decided to visit the patients, hospital staff and volunteers from Australia.
Marape soon found out that Nathaniel he was her wantok. She chatted with him for a while, before she and mum Jennifer prayed for him.
Jenifer too was pleasantly surprised to see such a distinguished visitor come to the ward to wish her son the best. She called it an unexpected and unbelievable experience for her.
Now Nathaniel and his mother are waiting for him to fully recover before they begin their way back home. Nathaniel loves school. When asked what grade he was in, his face lit up: “Elementary One.”
And then when asked about what he wanted to be in the future, he shouted: “Pilot.”
He cannot wait to return home and back to school. His mother plans to let him slowly get back his strength and fully recover from his operation. Now that his heart ailment has been fixed, he has all the time in the world to resume his education and lead a normal life.
“All his siblings are schooling and I have always wanted him to be in school too. So after this operation, I know he will continue to lead a normal life as any other child.”