We just got some great news! Yesterday, after waiting all morning with Raquel in the hospital, she was accepted as one of the children who will be operated on by a group of Germany plastic surgeons. The doctors are here to treat children who have suffered scarring due to burns, but Raquel’s needs are similar and despite a limited number of patients being treated – she was accepted. High-five to Sonia, our social worker, and to Raquel, who spend a long time sitting around to make sure she was included!
For those of you who may not know Raquel, she is a shy, hard-working 10 year-old girl we are helping out through our One Child at a Time Program. She lives with 4 of her 5 siblings, with their grandmother, having lost both parents five years ago. When she was still very young, an infection on the right side of her face was poorly treated, and resulted in scarring very similar to what one would expect in a burn victim. After exploring options with specialists in Cochabamba, we were told that due to the extent of the damage, surgery is the only option.
We will keep you up to date, but please keep Raquel in your thoughts and prayers this week!