Day 3 for the village team! Here is a story at the heart of why we come to Guatemala, supported by the wonderful resources provided by Faith in Practice. These are the moments that make the trip worthwhile.
A kind young man presented in triage with his wife. Two years ago he had an accident where he fell into a dry river bed, his right knee hit a rock. After the accident, his knee began to swell and 2 growths developed. He he came in using a crutch with a wood top to get around which looked very uncomfortable. He than took off his wrapping off exposinga huge hard mass on his knee. He has difficulty walking, and said he has had the mass for a year. He was in excellent health all his life. He was also very active in soccer. Now he has multiple stressors because he is unable to work, his mother in law recently passed away and he and his wife are caring for her three siblings .
After triage, he went to the General Medical clinic and was evaluated by the doctors. He had x-rays that showed a large bone growth in the Tibia and he was told it was cancer. The doctors were concerned about the size of the growth and it was interfering with his ability to walk. He was sent to the Faith In Practice on-site referral team and got an urgent referral to orthopedics in Antigua.
The triage volunteer shared that later in the day she encountered the same man and his wife sitting outside the Mobility clinic. He waved at her saying, “Venga, venga.” She sat next to him and noticed a big smile on his face. He was excited to share that he had gotten a referral for additional X-rays and surgical consultation in Antigua the following day, and that he would also received getting new, more comfortable, crutches today in the Mobility clinic! He shared his gratitude and blessings again for our help. He seemed so hopeful.
