In the last weeks many of you have been asking about Inti and his future operation. On the following lines we would finally like to answer your questions.
Since the last post we wrote a lot has
changed in his situation.
The key part came when we got referrals for a
different doctor we decided to consult before taking any important decisions –
this time in a municipal hospital, which automatically meant at least two
things – it would be cheaper but take longer before the operation can take
place. The doctor, albeit young, is a real expert and has been recommended to
us by several people – among them the director and therapist from a special
school in Ambato
where they work with children with the same defect. Upon seeing Inti walk and
examining him he pronounced a meaningful “chuta” and went along to explain that
his muscles are way too weak for him to undertake such a serious operation
right now and that he will definitely need a few months of physiotherapy before
getting his legs operated on. On the other hand, Inti’s right leg possibly
seems fine enough to be fixed just with physiotherapy so he will only need an operation
on the left one. The price is significantly lower than that indicated by
private doctors so much of the money we collected can go into the extended
physiotherapy, finding a good health insurance etc. The tentative date for the
operation has been set for the end of February but it is possible it will be
postponed even further. Everything depends on how much progress he makes in the
next weeks/months.
If the idea of putting the operation off sounds
like a setback, believe me, it really is not. We started attending the physiotherapy
right after talking to the doctor – an hour a day, everyday if possible – Inti
is always accompanied by one volunteer and, more importantly, both his parents,
plus often his sisters or brothers. There is a palpable hope in the air felt by
everyone and the first fruits of the therapy are already visible. In the last
couple of weeks Inti has made a significant progress towards stepping on
his left heel and not crossing his legs scissor-style when walking. The
exercises are also easy enough to be done at home or school with the assistance
of parents or volunteers, which will go a long way towards speeding up the
process. Most importantly, however, he needs to walk – slow, very slow, and
with the correct form – which can be really hard if you’ve spent your life
walking on your tiptoes. With enough time and practice the neural pathways in
his brain can be rewired to work in sync with his muscles.
We are currently building two platforms with parallel
bars he can hold on to while walking, that will help him practice on his own
and become more independent – one to be placed at the school, the other one at
his house.
Thanks to all the generous donations we have
received (or were promised…you know who you are(;) from a number of you we
believe we can cover all the costs associated with the operation and the
rehabilitation process, and can thus declare our fundraising efforts a success.
We do need money for the school and
other projects we are working on so if you were thinking of donating, we will
be grateful for any future contributions. Thank you all so much for your ongoing support which makes projects like this possible!
Choose exercise activities that your kids like.
ReplyDelete