Yovanna Campos Cabrera

Yovanna is a 4 yr old little girl from Cajamarca, Peru.(see her photo in the previous post, below) She needs heart surgery to repair a defective aortic valve. Eliana has brought Yovanna and her Mama to Lima, to the Childrens Hospital. The Luz Fund is helping with the expenses. An old friend of Chuck, Betsy Tirado and her medical group from New York City, Heart Care International will be in Lima next week doing heart surgeries on children who qualify for the care. A decision will be made this weekend on whether or not Yovanna will be a candidate for surgery. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. 

If you are in Lima, and have O rh+ blood we could use a couple donors. If you want to help with expenses, consider a check to:

The Luz Fund
512 White Oak Ave
Brandon, FL 33510
FEI# 32-0256081

Please write: For Yovanna Campos Cabrera, in the memo section.
More information can be found at: http://theluzfund.blogspot.com/

Again, Christmas Comes Early

Three Christmas presents for 2013.
Last year (2012), after waiting for almost a month, on December 15 we were notified that Franco and Tatiana were accepted at Shriners for their surgery for bi-lateral clubfeet(BLCF).  They were here in Brandon for six months, April thru September.  After two surgeries each and five months with casts on both legs they went home to their family in October.  Each walking straight with a new pair of shoes.  (See Photo on an earlier post)
That was our 2012 Christmas present.
This year we have already received three presents. In the first photo, Francis, 1 1/2 years old, already has his second set of leg casts for correction of his BLCF at Los Ninos Hosp, Lima, Peru.  Maybe five more cast changes. I think Francis is not too sure he agreed to this.

In the second photo, Jair, 10 years old from Juanjui, will be scheduled for surgery in January for his BLCF, at Los Ninos in Lima.  Dr Jose Morcuende, University of Iowa Childrens Hospital, was at Los Ninos Hospital in Lime last week to present an educational forum on the Ponseti Method of correcting club feet without surgery.  That will help Francis.  Jair, because of his age and other medical issues, will have surgery at Los Ninos in January for correction of his BLCF.

Third photo, a surprise gift. Yovanna, 4 years of age, needs Heart Surgery. May be scheduled for after the holidays.

Merry Christmas.

Many thanks for your continued support and prayers.

"Dr" Milagros Ingrid Hidalgo Panduro

Milagros Ingrid Hidalgo Panduro lives in the small town of Juanjui, San Martin Province, Peru.  Juanjui lies at the junction of the Hullaga and Huayabamba Rivers in northeastern Peru.  In the small town and the surrounding villages there is but one female womens doctor, that 'doctor' is Ingrid.

 

Ingrid loves the people of her home province of San Martin.  She travels by boat to visit the villages regularly to care for her patients, mostly expectant mothers, sometimes not returning home for several days.  There is no pre-natal nor post-natal care in Juanjui and many women give birth at home, without ever seeing a doctor during their pregnancy and rarely before or after, unless there is a major problem, and sometimes not then.

 

The people of Juanjui and San Martin are poor farmers and their families.  Many subsist by working on each others farms.  Cocoa, Citrus, and vegetables are the main products of the farms and the Cocoa beans from the San Martin area are prized by chocolate manufacturers in France, Germany, and other chocolate refining areas of western Europe.

Ingrid is 38 years old, unmarried, and lives with her aging mother, Camila.  In April, 2013, Ingrid was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.  There is no Cancer Treatment Center in Junajui, San Martin, not anyplace in Peru.  There is treatment for Cancer in Lima, eighteen hours away by bus or eight hours away by auto and air flight from Tarapoto.  The cost of travel and treatment is expensive.  Ingrid seldom charges for the service and treatment she provides for the women of San Martin and Juanjui.  She says that her needs are small compared to the services she provides to her patients.  But Ingrid was not prepared for her recent diagnosis.  Ingrid believes that God will provide for all her needs, and surely He will.  But there are also many patients of Ingrid who also stand to lose a good friend, a good Doctor, and for many, their only contact for good healthcare.

 

The Luz Fund is a registered 501c(3) charity based in Brandon, Florida.  We have been travelling to Juanjui, Peru, for several years bringing doctors and nurses to those in need.  We also bring children who need medical intervention, to the US for treatment unavailable to them in their home country. 

Those of you who have travelled with The Luz Fund to Peru have met and worked with Ingrid.  Ingrid has always been there during our visits, working side by side with us, providing free healthcare to those in need.  Although she was always there during our work, she was sometimes missing during our celebratory dinners, because she was off someplace, seeing another of her patients.  Now, Ingrid is the one in need. 

The Luz Fund seeks to raise $50,000.00 USD,  100% of which will be used to provide the care needed for Ingrid.  Any funds remaining will be used as an incentive to graduating, Spanish language medical students, to visit, and consider establishing an OB/Gyn medical practice in the Juanjui, San Martin Province of Peru.  Your assistance in helping us meet our goal is sincerely appreciated.  Letters of donation to assist you in tax preparation are available on request.

Contact information is contained on the right side of this posting.

Medical Mission to Peru - Sept/Oct 2013

The June Medical Mission to Peru has been re-scheduled for the last week of September and first week in October 2013.  The change became necessary when a cardiac tuneup was scheduled.  We will all be back in good shape and continuing our work very soon.

Meanwhile, please consider joining us in Lima, Peru, in the Fall for a trip to Juanjui.
Please see the mission information at:  http://perumissionforum.blogspot.com

Positions Avail:  General Practitioner
                         OB/Gyn
                         Neurologist
                         Nurse Practitioner (Above Specialties)
                         Registered Nurse (Above Specialties)
                         Paramedic, EMTs, for CPR, First Aid, Poison Control
                         Classes in Villages.

Contact:   Email, Telephone, Fax, are listed on the above website, or
                 reply in the COMMENTS section  below.

• Mission will be for eleven(11) working days from September 23 thru October 4. Three or four days clinic at Juanjui Hospital in City of Juanjui.Seven days field clinics in river villages of the Huallaga and Huayabamba rivers.
• One week participation will be considered by special request.
• In-country expenses paid.
• You are responsible for flight costs to and from Tarapoto, Peru.
• Please see information at above link.

HOME AT LAST

(Photo:  Passing thru Lima headed home)
Frank, Tatiana and Flor arrived home in Juanjui late Tuesday afternoon, after a long flight from Tampa to Lima to Tarapoto and overland to Juanjui.  Safe and sound back with the family they love.  They still have a long way to go to complete recovery as they continue to learn to walk again.  They made many friends while here in Florida, many whom they will never see again.  But they asked me to relay their thanks for all the support and encouragement they received while here.

Near the End

Last Wednesday, September 19, Frank and Tatiana had their casts removed for the last time.  They are now learning to walk again.  The pain is pretty much gone, but the struggle continues as they both are now walking on feet in a way they never have before. 
On Sunday, we went to a local shoe store to measure and buy each a new pair of shoes.

Yesterday we visited friends and they both were able to swim in the pool.  Tomorrow we will head to the beach at Anna Maria Island.  Gosh, they are really just two average kids, after all.  Of course by now they are both bi-lingual, acquired a taste for Ice Cream, Cookies, and Popcorn.  But no matter how hard I try, Franco still believes football is played with a 'round' ball.  Vamos Peru!!!!