Morning! It's amazing how much has been accomplished and how many lives have been changed by our incredible team so far!! So let's celebrate this accomplishment and the bravery of all the children with some chócala's (high fives)!!! Yay!!
Dr. Milton and Ana
Norma and Nurse Ophelia
Dr. Eduardo, Victor, and Dr. Payaso
Dr. Julie and Marcos
Issac and Silvana
Dr. Mark and Ana
Dr. Julie and Ediberto
Before Norma left she asked Dr. Amir for another chócala because she had been so brave before and after surgery…of course Dr. Amir gladly complied! Awesome!!
Nurse Lisa and Carlos
Luis's mom and Sangita chócala for Luis!
Ana and Carolyn Johnson (Rotary District Governor 7780)
One of my favorite parts of the day is visiting the children in the pediatric ward. They perk up when they see my camera because they love having their picture taken and then being able to see themselves on my camera right after. Many of them enjoy having their pictures taken with their new stuffed animal friends as well as new friends that they have made in the ward.
Now let me introduce you to some awesome kids that I met today!!
Meet Victor
When Victor was a year old, his aunt Gladys went to visit him and found him left alone, abandoned, and totally malnourished. He was even afraid of anyone touching him or going near him and couldn't sit on his own because he was so fragile and weak. The aunt took him into her care and went to three different cities asking for help with the operation for his cleft lip and palate, but no one would help. She tried to obtain legal guardianship of the child but because his birth had never been registered, and his father never acknowledged that he existed, they wouldn't give the aunt guardianship without the mother's approval. Just as he was about to be taken into the care of the government, a judge told her that if she was able to obtain surgery for Victor, it would prove to him that she was a good guardian and he would grant her guardianship. Driven by her determination to be Victor's guardian and finally provide him with a stable and loving home, she discovered Rotaplast. Last year Victor was able to have his first surgery (on his lip) thanks to Rotaplast!! Victor is now back to have surgery on his palate.
Before Victor went into surgery today, his aunt told me that the surgery was going to change his whole life. Before, she was so worried that he was going to be bullied his entire life and that kids would call him names. She now believes that he has an amazing future ahead of him thanks to Rotaplast!!!
Even more amazing to all of us was how much Victor loves hugs now, especially from Dr. Payaso!
Meet Ana
Ana’s mom died a year ago and her dad, who is a bus driver in Xela (about four hours away from the City), couldn’t afford to pay for someone to look after her. Her older brothers refused to stay with her because they didn’t like the way she looked. Ana spent the next month alone until her next door neighbor, who in the past had acted like a grandfather to her, agreed to take care of Ana while her dad was at work. He takes her to school, feeds her and he is the one who heard about Rotaplast and brought Ana to us on clinic day!!
Ana told me that she is very happy that she was selected for surgery and that she knows that it will “make her life better.”
After spending time with our doctors Ana now wants to become a doctor and be part of the Rotaplast team someday to help out others just like her!
You’re great ANA!!
Ana and her "grandfather"
Ana was a little nervous before surgery so Sabina and Dr. Payosa helped to comfort her.
Maria and Dr. Amir helped to take Ana to the OR. Good luck Ana!!
Time to end the day…with another chócala!!
I would like to end the day with one more chócala from our last patient Rosalinda as well as sharing some sweet moments from our day!! Night!!
wait….one more with Ted!
Sweet times….
