HVO Story of the Month - March 2007

By Dr. Mike Hardin

Cultural and economic barriers often result in difficult medical situations, but they can also create unique opportunities for ministry.

Facundo was a previously healthy 52-year old Achuar Indian from a remote area of the Amazon, accessible only by airplane. He was evacuated for weakness in his legs.

His initial evaluation at Vozandes-Shell suggested a compression of his spinal cord. The hospital offered to pay for the CT scan two hours away but the son-in-law felt he was better and took him home.

A month later, Facundo returned on a stretcher, writhing in pain, paralyzed from the waist down. This time his son accompanied him. Considering his options, we made the decision to transfer him to Vozandes-Quito for further imaging.

We confronted two barriers: cultural (Quito is a world apart from the jungle) and economic (jungle folks rarely have any economic resources). Fortunately, the charity fund was able to cover the eventual $20,000 cost for his transfer, evaluation and treatment.

The investigation in Quito revealed an abscess of his thoracic spine that compressed his spinal cord. Later studies also revealed a type of bone marrow cancer, multiple myeloma. Facundo nearly died after his surgical procedures but later emerged from the intensive care unit to begin a long course of medication.

Once stable, Facundo returned to the hospital in Shell. Surprisingly, he and his son adapted quickly to the drastic changes in his daily routine. They have both decided that at the end of his treatment they will return to live in the jungle, an environment not necessarily friendly to the disabled.

Before Facundo's case, we would have said the likelihood was very low that an older paraplegic man from the jungle could navigate the medical system, learn to care for himself and later actually be able to return to the remote jungle. But Facundo surprised us.

Currently, Facundo is beginning a drastically new chapter in his life, preparing to return to the jungle as a paraplegic. Please pray for him and his family as we work with them during this time of enormous transition.

Editor's note: Facundo and his son are both believers. His son spends time at his father's bedside doing Bible studies given him by the hospital chaplain, when not caring for his dad.