Luis is about 80 years old, has cataracts and can hardly see. He stills works a bit in the field, using a golf club to help find his way. He was walking the three miles to church and as he slowly crossed the highway, a car drove so close to him that it ran over his foot and knocked him down. The driver of the car didn’t stop but Luis managed to crawl to the edge of the highway (without getting run over. Amazing.)
Some ladies in another car did stop and took Luis to the hospital, where the doctors discovered that all the bones in his foot were broken. He would need surgery to insert pins. They send him home with a ‘soft cast” because his foot was too damaged to put in a hard cast. He was also told he would need to have two blood donors, an ECG and blood work (requiring another visit) and to return next week for the surgery, with $200 to pay for the pins and materials required. Luis was sent then sent home without any pain medication – only a prescription for pain medication which the family could not afford to buy. Our clinic provided pain medicine and antibiotics and we promised to drop in later to see how he was doing.
Anita went to visit him, and he was laying on the floor, and she could see that blood was oozing from his bandaged foot. The family was very concerned as to how they would be able to afford the $200; they only earn less than $100 a month. Hands of Hope agreed to pay 50% if they would pay 50%. Rosario, who works with us, explained to the family that they need to go back to the hospital and speak to the social worker, and explain that Luis has no money and that he simply can’t afford to pay for the needed pins.
Luis agreed to allow Paco, Rosario’s husband, to pray for him this time. Last time, Luis got angry when prayer had been offered. But this time, he not only accepted, he said thank you and hugged Paco.
We’ll update this story later.