Esmeralda Feb. 2-3

Since Dick and I will be traveling together, we decided to share journals this week.  Most of the words are mine, and all of the pictures are his.  If you know me, you know I just do "plain Jane" photos and am lucky to get them posted without messing them up.  Thanks, Dick, for sharing your talent with me. ~~Pat

Today we headed up to the mountains near Mexico, to pick up a young lady named Esmeralda.  We are going with her and her family to Guatemala City tomorrow for an appointment with a neurosurgeon friend of Dick and Roland. (Roland works the area around Xela and Guatemala City and finds many families in need of assistance.)

Esmeralda is receiving tutoring from a private teacher through Bethel Ministries, and her condition has been deteriorating as time goes on.  Dick and Roland wanted to rule out any type of a brain tumor or other operable condition, so we decided to bring this family down.  

Each time we do this I wonder, in my self-ishness, if this is a good use of our  (my) time.  And every time we do this, I realize how hard it is for these families to leave their remote villages to trust some unknown doctor in a city they have never visited.  This case was a little different, as Dad had been in the US in the past.  (This man put a whole new face on "illegal immigration for me. . .but that's a whole other article.)  I saw, however, how insecure they all were, and how fearful they were of what they would find out from the doctor and realized, again, the value of the "ministry of moral-support."  The family probably could have figured out how to get to the city, maybe even found a place to stay overnight, but with all the strain they were under, I know we did the right thing by being with them on the trip down.

Since they live a ways outside of Huehuetenango, we decided to drive to Xela and spend the night in a hotel there.  Roland met us for breakfast early Thursday morning, and we drove together to Guatemala City. Our appointment with the neurosurgeon was not until late afternoon, so we had a few hours to kill.  We killed the first finding the building the doctor's office is located in. (Guatemala City is a twist and tangle of one way streets, which always seem to go the wrong direction from where you want to be.)  Actually, we discovered, the building was only a few blocks from Oakland Mall where I've been going to the dentist these past few weeks.  We decided, with all the traffic and confusing streets to leave the car in the parking lot of the doctor's office, and walk to the mall.

I can't imagine what the people thought as they saw what a motely parade we made as we walked single file (the sidewalks are too narrow to do anything else) down the busy street.  A tall gringo with a bushy beard (Dick), followed by a Guatemalan man pushing a little girl in a wheelchair (Esmeralda and her dad), followed by a beautiful woman in traditional Mayan dress (Mom), followed by a more-than-middle-aged gringa (me) and finally, a tall, lanky European with a mass of unruly curly hair.  We really were quite the sight!  Dick figured with all the congestion, no one noticed.  I wonder though. . .

We got to the mall, and it was the first one Esmeralda and her mother had ever visited.  The whole experience, especially the elevator ride, was a little over-whelming to them.  We decided the best thing would be to see a movie while we waited for the appointment, and Yogi Bear (in Spanish) was about to begin.


When we entered the theatre, we discovered that this was another first for Mom and Esmeralda.  As Mom sat down in the folding seat, she was so light it just about swallowed up her tiny body!  It didn't help, either, that Dick was trying to close it on her!  We all got a good laugh about that, and strategically figured out a way for tiny Esmeralda to sit without being "eaten alive" by her chair. 


She and mom looked around wide-eyed at everything in the theater.  Though we had warned her the sound would be very loud, I swear she jumped 2 feet into the air when the previews began.  She adjusted well, though, and was enthralled by the previews.  She was really excited when the movie began, and she and mom giggled like a couple of school girls throughout the feature.  They were more fun to watch than the movie.


The appointment with the neurosurgeon went well.  Dr. Poszuelos donates his time and talents to helping children Roland and Dick find in villages.  Today I witnessed not only his competence, but his compassion as he carefully examined this scared little girl and gently talked with her anxious parents.  He decided he wanted to have an MRI done tomorrow, just to make sure, but thought that her problem was probably genetically based.  Roland will stay with the family tonight in Guatemala City, and help them get the MRI done and return to Dr. Poszuelos with the results tomorrow afternoon.




 




(Dr. Poszuelos spent much time, after a long day of surgery, calling around to find discounts for us for these tests at clinics run by his friends.  This guy is amazing.  We are so blessed to have him willing to help us with the difficult cases!)


It was really hard to say good-bye to them, as they stepped into a taxi with Roland to go to their hotel.  It was good to know, though, that he would care for them well, and let us know the results.


(The tests showed just what the doctor had expected--no organic abnormalities.  Next week Roland will go with the family to the city once again to see a neurologist this time.  We are hoping that an accurate diagnosis might help find a way to slow the progression of her illness.)

Pat