Nicaragua Day 3

First day in La Mascota Hospital: a bustling place filled with people waiting in various corridors, either to be seen or to wait for word on the outcome of surgeries. The route to the pediatric surgery wing is monitored by guards at a locked gate, only allowing through those people with the proper slips of paper bearing permission to come or go. Only one adult is allowed to wait for a child in surgery. Meals are provided for the patients, but not for the adults waiting. There were families who had arrived at 6am for surgeries that never took place until 4pm. And yet, there were no tantrums, no complaints, no arguing. The more I travel, the more I think the capitalist world is the only society with an overrated sense of entitlement.





Surgeries today consisted of some minor keloid removals, as well as a mastectomy on a young man with an enlarged breast and a young boy with neurofibroma disfiguring his face. Dr. Perrotta remarked many times about the quality and ability of the anesthesiology team at the hospital. He also noted the care and compassion all of the staff exhibited toward the young patients. In many places in the U.S., it seems, surgery patients tend to kept more at arm's length. Whether due to a more friendly and open atmosphere, or less regulation and liability stalking every move, stress levels seemed non-existent among the doctors and support staff working the three operating rooms in our wing.




I asked permission to follow one of our patients at home prior to surgery, during the hospital stay, and perhaps return a few months later to check on recovery. Our willing patient is a young man named Ivan. 12 years old, he's been dealing with a large hairy nevus covering the right side of his face. At his birth, his mom was told he couldn't have surgery until age 5.




At age 5, she was told if she could buy the skin expander necessary for surgery they could help. $500, however, is more than a year's salary for most Nicaraguans (average per capita income is $430). So she was told to come back the next year when they were sure to have gotten that piece of equipment. Then the next year. Then the next. Unfortunately, La Merced was not notified of the need until the eve of our departure, when it was too late to procure it. More on that later. But on our first day in the hospital, Nancy and I left early to visit Ivan and his family in their home to get some background info.




He lives with his mom and grandparents. His father left several years ago. His home is a haven for him from an unwelcoming world and cruel comments from both kids and adults. Surrounded by animals who do not judge, cared for by his family and a nearby cousin who serves as a role-model, Ivan continues to hope from year to year that someday he will be helped.