Madame C is our landlady. She is an amazing woman. To us she is the epitome of what you would hope a lady would be. She cared for people for many years volunteering at St. Luc Hospital in the Roseau house. She would work for 32 hours each weekend, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, in the commons or lounge area. St. Luc is a hospital for internationals needing transplants and other serious treatments. People come from many countries to stay at “The Reed” lodging. The lodging was named the Reed because it bends but does not break. Madame C speaks many languages - French, Dutch, English and probably others. She would serve coffee, lend books and magazines and encourage families of patients.
She also took care of our neighbor for fifteen years until she died early this summer, bringing her food and encouragement, making her last days more pleasant.
Madame C started her married life in the Belgian Congo with her husband and young family. He was a successful travel agent and they had a nice home. They had to leave it all behind when the Congolese started rioting and demanded independence. The Belgian and UN armies escorted the European Belgians out of the country as quickly as possible leaving properties behind. They then moved to Brussels and bought two apartments adding a stairs to the upstairs apartment. They raised their children and reestablished themselves successfully.
Twenty years ago Madame C and her daughter were involved in a serious car accident where her adult daughter died and Madame C sustained serious injuries to her neck. Some of the vertebrae were fused and she has lived in pain ever since, always maintaining a good, kind and caring outlook on life. When the children grew up and moved away she eventually decided to convert our apartment back to a rental. This is how we met her. She was the first Belgian we met and she gave us good expectations of what was to come in meeting other nice people.
One month ago she started experiencing severe back pain and went by ambulance to St. Luc’s. They gave her every test imaginable. She stayed there for the entire month, receiving many visitors and having her bed rolled down to Chapel each Sunday so that she could worship and receive Mass. This past Friday evening she returned home. They could not do anything to help her that didn’t have serious consequences (making her very immobile) so she decided to do the best that she can and use a walker.
We have come to love her and want every possible blessing for her. Some of you were praying for her a couple of weeks ago and we would like our friends to pray for her pain to subside and that she would continue to be a lighthouse to our community in Woluwe St. Lambert, Belgium.
