Mission of Hope, Bolivia Phone and Fax: 434-977-4748 |
Samuel's Story
The owner of the store took Samuel to a nearby clinic, but they could not stop the bleeding. From there, he was sent to a large hospital where they put gauze in his nose and sent him home without pain medicine, telling him to come back on Monday. Samuel returned to the hospital on Monday, only to be told that it was "doctor's day" and a holiday, so they sent him home again. He returned to the hospital on Tuesday, but again was sent home and told to return on Wednesday because there was no space. Finally, on Wednesday he was admitted for surgery. The surgery was done without anesthesia and was not done well. For the next 6 months, Samuel was unable to sleep lying down and unable to breathe from his nose. Samuel says his surgery experience with the U.S. team (March 2010) was "totally different" because he never felt any pain! After a successful surgery, he is now able to breathe normally through his nose and sleep without any problems. He is very thankful for the team and the care he received!
Jose Luis' Story
Jose Luis was born at home. His mother, Lucia, noticed right away that something was wrong. Something was bulging between his eyes and on top of his nose, and he was bleeding from his eye. There was no way to take him to a doctor because it was during the rainy season and the river was too dangerous to cross on foot. One month later, Lucia was able to cross the river, carrying her baby, and walk 5 hours to the nearest medical clinic. The doctor there did a quick exam, prescribed some eye drops, and sent her on her way. Lucia began the long walk home very discouraged. During the 8 years that followed, she despaired for her son. Jose tried to go to school, but the other children made fun of him and called him “monster.” After months of name-calling, Jose quit school to stay home with his mother. In hopes of finding help, Lucia and Jose rode many hours in the back of a truck to see another doctor, who told them that Jose needed a surgery. The doctor said they needed to go to a large city. For Lucia, a mother who could barely feed her children, money for travel was not even a possibility. More discouraged than ever, Lucia was comforted by her friends, who told her that God would help her. In February of 2008, a nurse named Maria, who worked in the Mission of Hope clinic, came to Jose’s village to show the “Jesus” film. Jose went by himself to see the movie, and Maria befriended him. She walked home with him and met Lucia, as well as Jose’s younger sister, Marioli, who had been born with the same problem. Maria told Lucia about the Mission of Hope clinic, where everything is free, and also told her about a surgery team that was coming from the US for a week of free surgeries. In March of 2008, Jose and Marioli came to the Mission of Hope clinic to be screened for surgery. Marioli was able to have surgery with the US team, but Jose’s condition was too advanced. Doctors on the team said he would need to come to the US to have his surgery. Until this screening, Lucia had no idea that this “bulge” between Jose’s eyes was part of his brain and that the only thing protecting it was skin. Part of the skull bone was missing, creating a potentially fatal situation. On October 15, 2009, Jose Luis entered Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, VA, where Dr. Joseph Han, an ENT surgeon, Dr. Vijay Singh, a neurosurgeon, and Dr. Eric Dobratz, a facial plastic surgeon, performed the very delicate 8 hour surgery to reconstruct Jose’s skull and nose. All of the physicians involved in Jose’s excellent care donated their services. The hospital donated the entire cost of the surgery, and American Airlines donated round-trip air travel.
Sarahi's Story
On July 2, 2009, Sarahi returned to Baton Rouge. She had outgrown the shunt and was having severe headaches again. Doctors in Bolivia were not willing to perform the lifesaving brain surgery that she needed. Once again, the hospital welcomed Sarahi with open arms. Within one week of Sarahi’s arrival, her pediatric surgeon, Dr. Robert Upp, and her neurosurgeon, Dr. Allen Joseph, had replaced the shunt, and she was free of headaches! God used this amazing team of doctors and health care professionals to not only save Sarahi’s life, but also to greatly improve the quality of her life. In Bolivia, the schools do not make provision for children with special needs. Sarahi had no bowel or bladder control. She wore diapers to school. When it was time to go outside and play, she would sit all alone against the wall and watch the other kids having fun. She longed to have friends, but she had none. In Baton Rouge, an entire community of physicians, physical therapists, nurses, pastors, and friends embraced Sarahi, and she began to feel “normal” for the first time in her life! She began interacting with others, playing games, and even learning English! She amazed everyone by gaining some bladder and bowel control and getting out of diapers for the first time in her life! Her doctors are very encouraged by this, and they now believe it is possible for Sarahi to gain full control with time and training! In Sarahi’s own words, her life has been “forever changed!”
Susana's Story
When the ENT surgery teamcame to Bolivia in March of 2008, Susana received her first ear surgery. A tiny, prosthetic stapes bone was implanted into her inner ear. One morning soon after the surgery, Susana realized that she could hear the traffic on the street outside of her window! She was so excited! When Susana came back to the Mission of Hope clinic for a follow-up hearing test, she was found to have normal hearing in the operated ear! This year, when Susana came to have surgery on the other ear, she was a different person! Her whole life has changed! She is much more confident and smiles easily. She no longer needs her children to speak for her. She is so thankful for everything that has been done for her at Mission of Hope. News about Susana has spread throughout the Mennonite community. She is known as “the woman who was deaf, but now can hear!” Aguinda's Story
After the birth of her 5th child, Aguinda had a “copper T” intrauterine device inserted so that she would not have any more children. A few months later, she began to feel sick. She went back to the gynecologist who had inserted the copper T, and he told her that she was pregnant. Aguinda, shocked by the news, asked the doctor how she could be pregnant when he had inserted an IUD. The doctor said there was no IUD in place and denied that he had ever inserted one. When Aguinda was lying on the operating table to deliver her 6 th child by Caesarian Section, she informed the surgeon that a copper T had been inserted prior to her becoming pregnant. The surgeon refused to listen to her and told her to be quiet and not talk during the surgery. About 5 years after the birth of this last child, Aguinda began to feel sharp pains in her abdomen. The pain was so strong that she was not able to do her housework. In the months that followed, she went to several different doctors. Each one could feel a mass in her abdomen, but no one could tell her what it was and why it was causing such sharp pain. Finally, she came to the Mission of Hope clinic. On exam, Dr. Luis Tapia was very surprised to discover that this mass was the copper T that had been inserted 7 years before! Aguinda needed an urgent surgery and was immediately put on the list for the surgery team that was arriving from the US. When the team operated, they found that the copper T was outside the uterus and had created an abscess. Aguinda developed anemia and a very serious systemic infection after the surgery. A middle of the night crisis resulted in a decision to give her a blood transfusion. At 2 am, a call was made to the local blood bank requesting 2 units of blood. The blood bank refused to send the blood until someone came with $200 cash to pay for the blood. If the team had not been there, that could have been the end of the story. Later that day, the decision was made to transfer Aguinda to a private hospital, where she could be more closely monitored in an intensive care facility. Before agreeing to receive her and treat her, the hospital wanted a $3,500 cash deposit. Again, if the team had not been there, this story would have a completely different outcome. Aguinda has now completely recovered from her surgery and the complications which followed. She is very thankful to God for using this team to save her life and for all those who support the Mission of Hope clinic in Santa Cruz .
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