Guatemala

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.

Many of you were touched by the details of Jorge’s accident that we posted on Facebook. There is much more to the story that we would like to share. It is really long, so I’ve broken it into two parts. This is Part 1 and Part 2 will be posted tomorrow.

I really believe in the power of story telling. I hope you are touched by Jorge’s story and how so many of you helped this little boy find healing. — Doug

We met Jorge’s family in April. His dad, Mario, takes care of the grounds in our condominium. We struck up a friendship and we’ve spent a lot of time together the past few months. Jorge’s mom, Ana, really looks up to Holly and loves to spend time with her. Holly taught Ana how to make cupcakes and zucchini bread and Ana taught Holly how to make Guatemalan enchiladas. Jorge has an older brother, Walter, and he likes to play soccer and Legos with Cooper.

Mario tells me frequently that Jorge asks him when he can come see Pancho, their nickname for me. One very special memory that I have of Jorge is his 2nd visit to our house, he ran up to me as his parents were leaving, and told me that my kids were his best friends. That moment melted my heart because my kids were in a season where they were struggling to make friends.

Jorge is a typical 5 year old Guatemalan boy. He is short, skinny, and frequently ill. He is shorter than Sarahn, our 4 year old daughter, and with far less meat on his bones.

The accident happened on a Sunday afternoon in Santa Marie de Jesus, a pueblo on the base of Volcano Agua. Jorge was in the living room of their house and he was climbing the furniture, as we’ve seen him do before.

The “TV stand” was tall, narrow and very shallow. It held a few photos and a large tube TV. As he neared the top of the furniture, his weight pulled the furniture over. Jorge fell and landed on the concrete floor followed by the crashing TV and stand. The result was a badly fractured femur right below the hip. A very serious injury.

Two days went by before I heard about the accident. It was a Tuesday afternoon and Mario rang our doorbell, as he does quite often. I asked him how he was and he responded “very bad Pancho.” He explained about Jorge’s accident and his pain. I could tell that Mario was extremely worried about his son.

I asked what the doctor said and he explained that they didn’t take him to a doctor because a “Señora” from their town was taking care of Jorge. A “Señora”? I didn’t understand so he explained that she is someone from their village that is a natural healer.

I was in disbelief that he had not seen a doctor nor had x-rays. Maybe, I thought, the injuries weren’t as bad as they sounded. Mario continued and said that the “Señora” found that Jorge had a broken leg and broken pelvis. My gut dropped, I could not believe what he was sharing with me. The injuries were actually worse than I thought.

“Is he in pain?”, I asked. “Yes, a lot” he responded. Not only was he not being treated by a doctor, but he was also without anything to treat the pain.

Mario went on to explain that the bones were already healing because the “Señora” had set them back in place. He told me this as he demonstrated putting two hands on his leg and pushing and thrusting from each direction.

I was speechless. I could not believe what I was seeing. What I wanted to do was shake him and say “Take him to the doctor RIGHT NOW.” But, I didn’t. Instead, I listened as he explained that both he and his brother had broken arms when they were younger. The same “Señora” that was helping Jorge actually “healed” their broken bones many years ago. He proudly showed me how he could move his arm up and down and side to side.

What Mario failed to understand was that Jorge’s injuries were much more significant than a broken arm. Mario continued and also shared their fears of what a doctor might do to Jorge. They feared the doctor would want to perform surgery and they didn’t want to put Jorge through that. Plus, he reminded me they had the “Señora” to help Jorge.

I had this internal struggle with what I thought was the right thing to do. He wasn’t intentionally neglecting his son because he was doing exactly what people from his pueblo have always done. It was how his parents took care of him and his brother and it worked.

As we finished our conversation, Mario could sense that I was struggling with all of this. In a moment that I will never forget, he put his hand on my shoulder and assured me that Jorge was going to get better. He just needed some more time he told me.

Two days later, on a Thursday afternoon, Mario returned. We asked about Jorge and he explained that he was still in a lot of pain. The “Señora” had returned and started Jorge’s therapy.

Wait, what? Therapy? This is FOUR days after he supposedly broke his leg and pelvis. FOUR days.

Mario demonstrated how the “Señora” put one hand on Jorge’s thigh and the other hand on his lower leg and then slowly bend and move his leg upwards. I winced as he showed me the motion. He explained that this movement was necessary in order to produce healing.

I told him it probably produced a lot of pain also. He confirmed this and then explained that Jorge cried so hard that he eventually threw up.

“Does he have pain medicine yet?” I asked. “No, the ‘Señora’ doesn’t have any for him”, Mario responded. Fortunately, Holly remembered we had a full bottle of Tylenol Pain Reliever, so we gave it to him. I explained that a doctor can provide a stronger medicine, but this might provide some minor relief.

I explained to Mario that a fractured leg needs stabilized for several weeks. I encouraged him to not proceed so quickly and that it would be best if he lets Jorge rest.

At this point, Holly and I became very concerned for Jorge, but we weren’t quite sure what to do. What Holly wanted me to do was to simply convince Mario to take Jorge to the doctor. Mario and Ana trust us and we probably could have had that conversation and been successful. However, I had this struggle about how involved we should get.

In the back of my mind I remembered Mario’s fear that something bad would happen to Jorge at the hospital or in surgery. It was a valid concern given the medical care in public hospitals. But – what if he was right. What if I convinced them to treat Jorge and then something bad happened. It would be hard to forgive myself. But, on the other hand, if we sit and do nothing surely Jorge’s health would continue to go downhill.

We really wrestled with all of these thoughts and there seemed no easy solution.

We were very busy the following week. I didn’t see Mario until Wednesday – 10 days since the accident.

When I saw Mario, he was the most upbeat and positive that I had seen him since the accident. Mario shared with us that Jorge was doing better. They had stopped his treatment from the previous week. He still had a lot of pain, but it wasn’t as severe.

I felt a relieved knowing that the pain was a little better, but that feeling quickly faded. Mario then asked if I could help him find a children’s walker to rent.

After the troubles with the previous “treatment”, how could they consider moving him again?

I wasn’t disrespectful, but I told Mario as firmly as I could that we would ABSOLUTELY NOT help him find a walker. I told him it should be a long, long while before he tries to walk.

He looked surprised and a bit confused. He told me that the previous day that the “Señora” had returned and tried to have him walk.

Before he finished his sentence, I stopped him and explained how bad of an idea this was. I told him that this will cause more damage to his leg and increase the pain.

Mario nodded his head in agreement. He explained that they had to stop after just a couple steps because Jorge was crying so hard. Thankfully, they returned him to bed, but the damage was done. Jorge cried out most of the night from the pain.

At this point, I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head. This couldn’t go on. Jorge had been through too much and he needed to see a doctor.

I reminded Mario again that these “treatments” were not beneficial. In fact, they were dangerous. I encouraged him to talk with Ana about taking Jorge to a doctor. Without hesitation, Mario agreed. He would talk with Ana that afternoon and they would figure out what to do.

The next few days passed quickly for us as we were hosting friends from the States. I didn’t see Mario again until Saturday – 13 days since the accident. He told me that his father agreed that it was time to see a doctor. I was a little surprised that his dad agreed, but was encouraged because I knew Mario and Ana would follow his advice.

Stay tuned for Part 2