This is Part 2 of Jorge’s story. Click here to read Part 1.
Mario called me later that day and confirmed that Jorge had an appointment for X-rays at the lab for Monday morning. Their only means of transportation is public transport, so I agreed that I would pick him up Monday morning and take him to town for his appointments.
I was both anxious and nervous when I arrived early that Monday morning at Mario’s house. Walter, Jorge’s brother, was waiting for us. I waved and he quickly ran to get his parents.
A couple moments later, Mario emerged from his house carrying Jorge. This is the first time I have seen him since the accident.
He looked awful. I found out later that he hadn’t eaten since the accident. His face had a yellow tint and he looked extremely weak. I knew that this was more serious than I had realized.
It was now 2 weeks and one day since the accident. Jorge had been in excruciating pain. Mario was holding Jorge very carefully and attempted to gently slide Jorge into our back seat. During this process, Jorge’s body adjusted slightly in Mario’s hands and he cried out in immense pain. It was more than a cry…it was more like a wail. I just closed my eyes.
I saw Ana for the first time since the accident and she looked terrible. She was a worried mother and she certainly had lost sleep worrying about her baby.
In a driving rainstorm, we drove down from Santa Maria de Jesus. I drove carefully so not to cause Jorge any more pain. The car was quiet – too quiet. But then, in his sweet little voice, Jorge cut through the silence and thanked me for helping him. I was glad to hear his voice — it actually encouraged me a bit. I asked him if he was OK and he assured me he was.
We had two stops to make. We needed X-rays at the lab and then a short trip to the doctor’s office. I pulled up to the lab and opened Mario’s door. He cautiously exited the car without incident, but as he stood up and attempted to get a better hold, Jorge’s leg was bumped and again he cried out in pain.
Before Mario went into the clinic, he came back and with a look of desperation asked “If they say that Jorge needs a surgery, what do we do?” Without hesitation I told him “Do it!”
I knew it would be a while so I returned to my house to wait for their call. Several hours later, I got the call to pick them up to take Jorge to the doctor. When I arrived to pick them up, it was only Ana — Mario and Jorge had already left.
Ana was crying and very upset. She explained that Jorge’s break was really, really bad and that the doctor sent them to talk to a surgeon at the hospital.
Mario and Jorge had already left in a taxi, so I needed to shuttle Ana to the hospital quickly. When we arrived I gave her a big hug, told her that I would wait for them in the car, and then I sent her in to meet up with Jorge and Mario.
After 20 minutes, Ana, Mario, and Jorge returned to the car – silent and visibly shaken.
I helped them get Jorge into the car and then I pulled Mario aside. He told me that the doctor said that Jorge had a very bad fracture and he needed surgery immediately. He explained, through tears, that they couldn’t do it because they didn’t have the money. The surgery was expensive because it would require a plate and screws to repair the bone. So now, here they are after seeing their son suffer so much for the past few weeks, they now realize the severity of his injuries and know that they can’t afford to get the treatment and care he desperately needs.
It was late, it was dark, and the mood was somber. I drive Jorge and his family back up the volcano. When we arrived and Mario carried Jorge into the house without incident. Walter, Jorge’s brother, is waiting anxiously on news of his little brother. He is being comforted by his grandma and grandpa in the living room where this tragedy began. He runs to give me a big hug. I wait for Mario and Ana to get Jorge comfortable in their bed inside of their tiny bedroom.
They call me quietly into their room so that I can see Jorge. Jorge, still weak and in pain, hugs and thanks me. Again, his small gesture bring me encouragement and calms my nerves. I told him I loved him and he broke a tiny smile for me.
I quietly talk with Mario and Ana about their plan. They explain that they don’t have enough money for the surgery, but they would talk to his parents to see if they can help. I knew that was a dead end because his parents are much more poor than Mario.
I am trying to process all of this and it is extremely difficult. The rain is pounding hard on their sheet metal roof. The temperature in this tiny bedroom seems like 100 degrees. I am emotionally drained, my head is splitting, and I have a million things going through my mind.
They need 14,000 Quetzals for the surgery. That is about $2,000. They only have 5,000 Quetzals. There is only one option, so I told them that Holly & I would loan them the money. I told them we didn’t want Jorge to suffer another minute.
They didn’t speak – they were overcome with emotion. They hugged one another tightly. The tension in the room lifted and it was replaced by a sense of hope. Mario leaned down onto the bed and explained to Jorge that they were going to be able to fix his leg. Ana gave me a quick hug and then quickly exited the room. Mario hugged and thanked me and assured me they would pay me back.
As I drove back home in the dark, rainy night, I questioned if I had handled the situation correctly from the beginning. Should I have done something sooner? Should I have convinced Mario the very first day that Jorge needed a doctor? Should I have just driven to his house to see him first hand? Maybe that would have been all I needed to convince them to seek treatment.
While I did feel a sense of relief, I also remembered Jorge’s cries of pain. My relief was tempered by the thought of the pain that Jorge would still endure for a few more days.
That night, as Holly and I talked about the day, we talked about what was the best way to help and bless Jorge’s family. I knew all along we were going to help them, I just wasn’t sure of the best way. The offer of the loan allowed Mario to move forward with Jorge’s surgery and gave us time to figure out how we would come up with the money.
After some discussion, we decided that instead of a loan would pay for the surgery with ministry funds and by soliciting help on Facebook. If we could find partners to contribute to 50% of the surgery costs, we would find ministry funds to pay for the remaining.
On Tuesday morning at 10 am, we posted on our Facebook page. We shared a little bit about Jorge and our hope to raise 50% of the funds in the next 24 hours. I am always nervous and hesitant to ask for money, but we felt so strongly that people would be touched by Jorge’s story.
We were blown away at the response. We had dozens of people praying for Jorge and several generous donors stepped up and surpassed our goal of 50% and funded the ENTIRE amount in less than 12 hours.
It was a great moment to be able to call Mario and explain that friends, family, and even strangers had donated the money to pay for the entire surgery. I had to explain it to him a couple times that this wasn’t a loan, it was ALL paid for. I shared that it was a blessing that God provided for his family through complete strangers.
Jorge had his surgery the next morning. He now has a plate and four screws in his leg. Within 24 hours of his surgery, the worst of his pain had subsided and his appetite returned. We are happy to share that he is on his way to a full recovery.
There is one other part of this story that I want to share. What I know now is that Jorge is in fact a miracle. What Mario didn’t tell me the day we took him to the doctor is that the surgeon shared some disturbing news about Jorge’s injury. He explained to Mario and Ana that often times, when injuries of this magnitude aren’t treated in a timely manner, young kids die from the pain. The pain causes enormous stress on these small bodies and eventually the body shuts down. Unfortunately, it is a common occurrence in impoverished communities where families either choose not to seek medical attention or don’t have the necessary financial resources.
I don’t know how many more weeks or days Jorge could have gone on. I am just thankful that his story didn’t turn out like so many others.
As I reflect on this entire situation, it is a great reminder to me of God’s faithfulness. I am still learning that as hard as we try and as hard as we work, it is God that is knocking down doors. To be honest, the last 11 months for us has been a challenge. There are times when I sit here and wonder: “What in the world are we doing here?” There are times when things don’t go the way we want or we don’t accomplish things as quickly as we think we should. But, it is in these moments that I now realize that I’m putting my trust in my own abilities and not in God’s.
I have to remind myself that we are right where God has called us. And, in those times, when I truly understand and truly believe this, our job and mission seem so clear and simple: stay within God’s will. OK, maybe it just sounds simple because living life that way…well, it can be difficult. Especially when I keep getting in the way!
We can’t thank everyone enough for their concern for Jorge. We thank you for the prayers, well-wishes and for everyone that sacrificed financially for his surgery. Mario, Ana, and Jorge are extremely grateful and they have shared with us multiple times to express their gratitude to everyone.
