A group of doctors, nurses and members of the Episcopal Church have been here on a clinical mission. I understand they went to Santo Domingo when they first arrived. Local people helped them with translation and, surprise, surprise, I was able to help them too. We were in Mozovi, Monte Llano, San Marcos, Carraballo, Severe and La Union.
When I was looking for the location of the medical team when they were in Severe I was pointed in the direction of another group from Texas who come here to build homes for the Haitians. I met some of the members and they told me they had two homes available if I knew any Haitian families in the Carraballo area. One of the boys on the baseball team, Willie, lives in the area and in fact was fighting with another boy when I arrived. He quickly straightened up when he saw me. His mother died from AIDS two years ago and his father and sister, 12 years old, is raising him, his 2 other brothers, and baby sister. This family previously received a large donation from Rainbow Families.
Anny has been doing well and her spirits are high.
She turned 15 on Sunday, 25 January and I visited her on Monday, day after her birthday. Two of the U.S. medical team members were able to visit her as well. I briefly saw the RFF website. Thanks for putting Anny's picture on the homepage and preparing a special page for her. Shortly I will get a photo of Anny taken two years ago, before the accident. She tells me that at one time she was very pretty and I tell her she is still very beautiful.
A political man that is a friend of Anny's family wants to put on a telemarathon on the television. We had a meeting with other figures in the community and everybody agreed. The next meeting was cancelled because we had so much rain. Then, when the guy talked to the television station they said they needed an 8 hour slot on a Saturday. He will speak with another man who owns the Puerto Plata TV station to try and get a timeslot. He is also trying to get a meeting with the Governor of Puerto Plata to get some monetary help.
Antonia was in the hospital once again for ten days. (She is the little girl that needs a mitral heart valve repaired or replaced.) As I understand, one of her medicines ran out and her mother waited until the last day before doing anything. Then she didn't have any money and had to find someone to give her enough money to buy it. Then the local pharmacys in Monte llano didn't have it and Jacobo had to find it in Puerto Plata. As a result of missing the medicine for several days she got sick again and was taken to the Hospital Robert Reid Cabral in Santo Domingo. While working with the team of doctors and group from the U.S. I saw Antonia's aunt in Carraballo and asked her to have Antonia and her family come to the make-shift clinic in Severe on Monday (two days ago). Fortunately the message got through and the doctors had four of the medicines that she is taking. Two of the team members gave me money to buy the other two medicines so now she has enough medicine for 21 days. Her next appointment is Tuesday, 3 February in Santo Domingo and hopefully we'll get a good report from the doctor. I'll have a better idea when the surgery can be scheduled. All of her siblings were treated for parasites and flu.
A group of six ladies were here from Minnesota. The one lady, Dana, came last year and brought donations for Jose Antonio's family. This year the ladies sponsored Antonia's family with many clothes, shoes, household items, etc. They were very generous and I know Saturnina and her husband Pedro appreciated everything. One of the younger girls in the group came with antibiotics from her father who is a doctor.
Saturnina (Antonia's mother), Antonia, a volunteer who knows Santo Domingo very well, and I left for Santo Domingo at 3AM to get to her 7AM appointment on time on Tuesday, 3 February.
We checked in and gave the mandatory donation to public hospital Robert Reid Cabral. We went to the second floor to the cardiology department and waited. This was a different doctor than I had seen before. Dra. Jimenez examined Antonia, took an EEG test and then told us to continue with all the medications. She then said to come back in two months. I asked her when will Antonia be ready for surgery. She looked at me like "why do you care?" I told her that I am taking responsibility for Antonia, and Dra. Toribio at Corazones Unidos said Antonia should be ready for surgery in March or April, if she stays out of the hospital and stays healthy on her medications. I explained that Dra. Toribio will schedule Antonia for surgery when she is strong enough and when the next pediatric cardiologist doctor from United States comes to town. Dra Jimenez said there is a team of doctors from United States at Hospital Plaza la Salud. She said they are called “Heart Care International” and asked if I want to go there. I told her yes and she put the x-ray and EEG tests in an envelope along with a referral form. We quickly went to Plaza La Salud and found the CEDIMAT building (Centro de Diagnostico, Medicine Avanzada, Laboratorio y Telemedicina). When we arrived there were many young patients waiting and doctors and staff in the hallway. I approached what appeared to be a doctor and asked if they could see a patient. She asked if we had an appointment and I said no. She said they have 40 patients today and are very busy and could we come back later in the week. I explained that we left at 3AM this morning for a 7AM appointment at Hospital Robert Reid Cabral and Dra. Jimenez referred us to them. I asked what is the charge for this kind of surgery. She told me it was free. I put the file in her hand and told her this family is very poor and cannot afford to pay for the surgery.
She said today was my lucky day and somebody up above must be looking out for me. About an hour later they called Antonia to triage for information, history and vitals. They made an EKG then an ultrasound of her heart. The technican called in the doctor to view the screen. The doctor talked to me and said many patients have been on the waiting list for a couple years because they get bumped by other patients with more serious problems. He said they are doing 9 surgeries per day and normally in the U.S. they only do 3 heart surgeries per day. Then he said he felt Antonia needed surgery right away and wanted to speak to the team of doctors about her case.
He said there are three options, 1) repair the mitral heart valve, 2) do a transplant with a pig valve or cadaver valve, or 3) do a transplant with a mechanical valve which would require a daily dose of cumadin blood thinner. I explained the situation with the mother not always giving Antonia her medicine and he said this third choice would not be an option in her case since if she didn't take the medicine the blood could clot and clot the valve. I told him we'd go to lunch (it's after 2PM by this time) and he can let me know what the team decides when we return. When we returned he had started ordering Antonia's admittance. He said they needed to get blood tests and determine if she is strong enough to undergo the surgery. She was admitted and the lab technican immediately came to take blood tests. Antonia is so brave she hardly wimpered.
Thank God, Antonia was operated on and is recovering in intensive care, which is normal. The doctor doesn't want her laying down all the time since pneumonia could set in. She isn't happy about it because she is groggy and in pain and wants to sleep. The nurses have their hands full keeping all the kids awake. Antonia continued calling out in pain and finally the nurse gave her a pain shot. Shortly thereafter she vomited up the medicine. The doctor said she should be ready to leave in a couple days. Saturnina, her mother, is very happy. I learned about this case in early August. Saturnina knew of my work with Jose Antonio and came to Jacobo's house to find me out of desperation. After 7 months of me knowing this child she is now on her road to recovery to live a more normal life.
I anticipate Antonia will be able to leave the hospital soon. I am responsible for Antonia and must see that she gets to her home safe and sound.
On a sad note, I learned that the family only has two beds in the home. The mother, father and Paola, the youngest 7-year old sister sleep in one bed. Antonia, Tania her sister 12 years old and brother Jose Manuel, age14, sleep in another bed. I asked Jacobo to explain to the parents that this is not a good situation and they need to have the 14 year old brother sleeping in a bed of his own. I am asking around to find a donation to get a twin bed for Jose Manuel.
Jacobo met a cardialogist from Scotland who came to the DR for three days to see a patient. Jacobo told him about Antonia and he made arrangements to speak with me. The doctor has a friend from Spain who goes to Cuba each year. The doctor told me that he will contact his friend and see if he can make a stop in the DR on his next trip to Cuba this spring and see if he can perform the surgery on Antonia. You may remember that the Pediatric Cardiologist told me she has done several heart surgeries but this one is so delicate that she didn't feel comfortable doing it. I think this guy must have lost my email address because he has not contacted me again and fortunately he doesn't have to.
Rosangela is continuing with physical therapy each Monday at 3PM. Her last appointment showed signs of improvement, though work towards helping her scoliosis has not yet begun. As I understand, first her spine must be aligned before work on the scoliosis can begin.
Franklin is continuing chemotherapy in Santo Domingo. He and his mother go on Monday's and stay at a distant cousin's house and return back to the countryside on Friday's. He has completely lost his hair with the chemo treatments.
Luitka has been back and forth to Santo Domingo in Hospital Robert Reid Cabral. She's the child born without an anus. She will continued to have problems and might require some sort of surgery to her kidneys. My young engineer friend is a friend of her family and has been supporting them in many ways.
The local Puerto Plata newspaper called el faro is on line. Their website is Puerto Plata Newspaper. In the edition of January 10-16, 2003 my photo is on page 9 and 10.
The consolidators union have an annual breakfast and I was invited to attend to receive a check for 10,000 pesos for Jose Antonio, the little boy who got the esophogas transplant. An article appeared another time for donations at the hospital but I don't remember the date.