Joy and sorrow often go together

 

It is an old wisdom: joy and sorrow often go together

and this is exactly what we have very recently experienced in PCC.

 

Sorrow 1

Last December our much-loved resident Ahmed very suddenly passed away.

 

Ahmed has lived here for over 20 years after he came from Tamale in Northern-Ghana to PCC in 2004. He probably was about 7 years old at the time, and he suffered from “cerebral palsy”, probably due to trauma at his birth.

 

At first, Ahmed was not able to walk, however, he very quickly took his own steps, and Ahmed has enjoyed his good life at PCC since then. He was always happy, enjoyed taking part in all sorts of activities and he was the person who would say “Hip, hip, hip…” followed by a loud “Hooray” shouted by everybody else, which would then be repeated three times. Ahmed’s moments of glory!

 

In November and December, he had to go to hospital a few times, and seemingly there were no signs of any serious disease. However, very suddenly he died, without any clear cause. Maybe due to an underlying infection after all…?

Ahmed is sorely missed, because he was a much-loved resident of PCC.

 

Sorrow 2

At the beginning of 2025, also Hannah sadly passed away.

 

Hannah has lived in PCC for only one year, after she came here from Kumasi Children’s Home at the start of 2024. She was about 15 years old, deaf and suffered from an intellectual disability.

 

From the beginning, she was not in an optimal condition and showed little appetite, seldomly laughed and so on.

 

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Many hospitalizations later she was diagnosed with several diseases, of which a chronic hepatic failure after a hepatic infection probably was what caused her bad condition.

Unfortunately, various treatments were not effective and did not improve her condition. At the beginning of January, she slowly but certainly slipped away from life.

 

Hannah was still very young, we had hoped for many good years for her in PCC, but sadly enough, it was not meant to be.

 

We took Ahmed and Hannah to their final resting place, and we are hoping that they will be resting safely in the hands of their heavenly Father and Creator.

 

Joy

Fortunately, there also was room for joy in PCC during the extensive celebrations of both Christmas and the New Year.

These festive days have been the highlight of every year in our Community, and this year was no different. All residents are extremely excited in the run-up to and during all festivities: the musical celebration on Christmas Eve, Father Christmas’ visit on Christmas Day (together with presents and new clothes for everybody) and last but not least as a participant in the unique PCC Christmas play on the 26th of December.

 

On the 28th of December everybody enjoyed our sports day and subsequently the celebrations on New Year’s Day, with the much impressive New Year’s fire. All festivities ended the next day with our special New Year’s party. All residents were wearing and showing each other their new and beautiful clothes, given to them by Father Christmas.

Fortunately, there also is and has been a lot of happiness in PCC!

 

We are hoping that PCC will be spared from further grief for the time being, but we do realise that many of our residents are fragile people.

 

Both joy and sorrow are part of our lives, but we are hoping and praying that 2025 will bring us preferably much joy and little sorrow.

 

We wish all readers and friends of PCC the same: much joy and little sorrow!

May it  be like we hope. Amen!