Help wherever you can

This woman couldn't
 swallow and barely breathe because of her goiter (enlarged thyroid gland).  Now she can.

It's great to feel good about something...

LIGHT OF THE WORLD CHARITIES, BOACO, NICARAGUA, DECEMBER 2013

I have to give credit to Ron Ashley, the official photographer for Light of the World Charities.  Ron possesses an amazing eye and talent for taking wonderfully expressive photographs. I can only wish that I possessed a similar talent.

We visited Baoco, Nicaragua for the first time the first week in December, 2013.  None of us had any idea what we would see or how we would be accepted.  We were welcomed with open arms and embraced for our willingness to visit and offer our help. By the end of the week we were all in love with the people and the facility.  We ALL look forward to a return visit.

We provided many needed surgical interventions and offered suggestions and teaching to the employees of Hospital Jose Nieborowski.

One of the most emotionally charged and rewarding experiences was because of a patient named Esther.  Esther is about 70 years old.  She was born and raised near Boaco.  Esther was born with a cleft lip. No one had offered to help her during her 70 years.  She spent all of her life in hiding and avoiding being seen in public.

When we arrived with our General Surgeon and our Plastic Surgeon, someone at the hospital had Esther visit to see our Plastic Surgeon, Donato Viggiano of Stuart, Florida. Dr. Viggiano was more than happy to offer his skills to help Esther. She spent her life hiding because of her appearance.

After Dr. Viggiano and his team of volunteers intervened and corrected Esther's deformity she awakened smiling.  After 70 years of not being able to smile, when she viewed her new appearance, she just beamed!  It's always wonderful to intervene with children with cleft lips and palates who have their entire lives ahead of them, to correct the deformities that might affect their entire lives, and make a difference in how their lives my be affected.  

Seeing Esther smile after her surgery made the week of cold showers, one sheet on the bed, instant coffee and way more starches at meals than even I can tolerate, and chewing the skimpy meat off of beef vertebrae, made the entire mission worthwhile.  There is nothing like a smile and the joy of a being a part of helping this woman smile.  I may bitch and moan about the trials and tribulations of my life.  In fact, I know I do.  Seeing Esther smile after her surgery and knowing I had but a small part of making a difference in her life makes my self pity seem like the petite issue it really is.

Just look at Esther's smile!  After 70 years, she can! Thank you, God, or Allah, or Jaweh or whatever name you call your Supreme Being for giving me the skill, the talent, the opportunity to offer my little bit of help in making a difference in the life of Esther.

After 16 years I have a real ear...

After 16 years I have a real ear.....

Antonio is a 16 year old young man in Comayagua, Honduras.  He was born without a normal, external right ear.  We all know how cruel people and especially children can be.  Antonio went through life with people making fun of him because he wasn't NORMAL.

Were you every overweight, clumsy, too tall, too short, a face full of acne?  Can you identify with being the focus of ridicule?  Did you have a friend who was called names or bullied?

Those of us in the USA know we are lucky to live here.  We have so many opportunities and so many options.  Honduras and other third world countries don't have these options or opportunities.

Without Dr. Mario Loomis, a Plastic Surgeon from New York who freely volunteers his time and skills with LIGHT OF THE WORLD CHARITIES, Antonio would still be facing ridicule from his peers.

Dr. Loomis has said that normally it takes three separate procedures to reconstruct an external ear. He is extremely pleased with this success after only one procedure.

Both Antonio and Dr. Loomis are truly thrilled with the success. 

One of our charity successes

I Couldn't Hear and Now I Can....

Hi, my name is Luis,

I was born in Comayagua, Honduras in 2000.  I was born totally deaf.  Honduras has no special education programs for children with disabilities.  I couldn't go to school  My mother taught me sign language to use at home.

The loving people from LIGHT OF THE WORLD CHARITIES discovered me and realized that I needed help.  Some very loving and caring nurses from LOTWC, Jeanne Teter, Linda Mendelson and others, worked diligently to bring me to Florida for surgery.

They convinced MEDTRONICS to donate a Cochlear implant, a generous and dedicated surgeon volunteered his skills to perform the procedure, Arnold Stocker, CRNA, volunteered to do my anesthesia and the hospital in Miami offered the use of their operating room to help me.

I stayed in Florida for six months while I had speech therapy, in Spanish!  Jeanne Teter and Linda Mendelson welcomed me into their homes while I visited your wonderful country.  After six months of speech therapy and experiencing the love of such wonderful people, I returned home to Honduras to join my mother and sister.

I'm now in school.  I'm the oldest in my class because I started school so late. I'm doing really good and will soon be with my peers in the correct school year.

When I visited the LIGHT OF THE WORLD CHARITIES group in 2011 I read from my school book and answered their questions.  We had conversations.  It was interesting seeing these grown-ups cry.  I didn't understand it.

I'm my picture, I'm listening to an iPad.  I played the drums and the guitar on Garage Band and listened to music.  It was so COOL!