Located in the central Sierra Madre Mountains in the the state of Guanajuato, Mexico there is a small Otomi Indian village that goes by the name of Cruz del Palmar. With a population of 1100 people, mostly women and children, we had an opportunity through Missions for Life to attend a medical outreach to provide support. On this particular rainy day in November myself and my interpreter Javier addressed a difficult situation involving a women's ankle. At first glance I thought maybe she was expecting a child soon and with this added weight and combined uneven rocky and rugged surface, she easily twisted her ankle. As we examined her ankle we found no displaced fractures, only a sprain. We placed the brace and provided her with an appropriate sized cane instead of the crutch she was using that is pictured leaning against the wall. Further discussion led to the realization that she was not expecting a child, but that she had developed a large ovarian cyst that needed surgery that she could not afford. She had been placed on a stand-by waiting list for free surgery for over a year. Two weeks after taking this picture I learned that she had been accepted for surgery to remove the cyst, but due to unforeseen complications, she did not survive the surgery. 

I was thankful that we were able to provide some form of comfort in those last two weeks of her life through a simple ankle brace and cane. I press on knowing that if I had a surgical team available we might have had a different outcome for her. The final steps that she took are forever counted in my heart.

Organizations related to this story: Missions for Life, Inc.

Comments

To leave a comment, login or sign up.
  • OMASIRICHI OTI

    OMASIRICHI OTI

    for sure, those two weeks counted.