Set date for Surgery!!

Jeremiah here, and: Great news!! After about 11 days of nonstop logistics, traveling, translating, hospital visits, blogging, investigating the whole story, etc. we finally have breached the peak of a seemingly insurmountable task. Sleeping in today was probably the best way to celebrate yesterday´s success. Yesterday´s success was odd and rather anticlimactic I think because we expected so much more so much earlier. We all were so drained and the negotiation at VozAndes was so quick and business-like that it was hard to be aware of the success itself and how incredible it was given how the day was so up and down with good and bad news. I guess Ill stop rambling:) and say the operation is going to happen!! and for the amount that we determined we could offer...$2000! They initially wanted us to cover 4k!

Let me go into the details. Wednesday night, we had to good fortune to put the word out in Tabuga to find the name of the hospital they had visited right after the hit and run happened. We needed either a police report( not possible, there are no police in this part of the country), a receipt form called 08 from a public hospital, or a paid services receipt if they had gone to a private clinic (again, not possible as they have no money) in order to prove it was a car accident so Jose would qualify the SOAT funding from the government. We were hoping to get around 2000 from this to offset the remainder of the surgery costs. We gave the name of the hospital to Voz Andes and they said they would look into it the first thing Thursday morning. I got a call from the Director as we were on our way in a taxi to check in on Jose and Rosa and bring them breakfast. Word was that the hospital did have records and that there was about $1100 of SOAT money that would probably be able to be used for the surgery. This was great news as it got us one step closer. They said they might have some reconditioned plates and screws that could be used and thus cover all the costs of the operation if we could provide that initial $2000. Awesome.

We got to Jose and Rosa who were in good spirits after a good nights rest. They kept asking when they could go home as I think they miss being away from the coast and Tabuga itself. Quito is like cold, distant planet compared to the tropical coast. They also always ask for Allison, ¨¿Donde está la muchacha?¨ because she has been out sick and hadnt been able to visit as much. I try to tell them she working hard on getting help from all our family and friends and resting up from being sick. I can tell they miss having her around. They seem to get a good chuckle in just asking about her. Miguel and I hung out with them for a couple hours, watched some shows on a tiny tv huddled all on the bed in their hostal. As it got closer to noon, we figured it would be good to head over to Voz Andes to get the latest news and hopefully transfer them back to the shelter at that hospital to help save money and would also allow them easy access to food at the hospital cafeteria.

After lunch, we got to the hospital around 1pm and found the social worker first. Terrible news hit us after the first 20 seconds in her office. Apparently, our initial information about the date of the accident that we had sought out early last week before going to Quito was totally off. We had heard 10 months by several people including Jose. So that's what we had to go with as there was no documentation from a police report and they had no hospital papers. It actually happened over two years ago and because we were now outside the 2 year limitation for SOAT funding, we wouldn't have access to that last critical amount of money. It was truly hard to hear we could be back to square one. The mountain had jolted forward but then settled back into the same exact place. In addition, the doctor to whom Jose had been assigned was going on vacation today and was not returning until the day we leave for home. I asked if he could be reassigned and she assured me no. Only place to go now was to request another meeting with the Director to see if their initial idea, of discussing with staff about our case and weighing it among their budget and other patients, could fund the remainder. Also, hopefully plead for a new doctor. We got a meeting an hour later at 2pm but finally got a chance to talk to him at 3. He came out of the elevator right by where we were sitting in the waiting room and without greeting said, ' ok if you have the two thousand you mentioned yesterday, we will take care of the rest and somehow make it work. Were not sure how its all gonna work yet, but well make sure the surgery gets done.´
Complete shock, didn't expect it. But, WOW, miracle granted! The only sticking point was getting a surgery date. The surgeon is available only the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of August before going on another vacation. So we set the date for next Monday, the 22nd which happens to be the day we fly home. We struggled to make this happen before leaving the country, but know we cant control the timeline of anything especially in this country. I sent Miguel home with Jose and Rosa today so they could rest back in Tabuga for a week before coming back for surgery. Allison and I are going to also rest up for a couple days and then also head back to the coast on Sunday to finish the home building process and get them essentials in the home and food, etc. Another huge goal of ours is to get Jose in the system to receive his qualified monthly assistance bono of $240 so they will have a sustainable income for their future once we are gone.

The surgery is a huge success and we couldnt have made it happen without your incredible support! There are still some costs to make it happen though, so we are keeping our donation requests urgent and needed. Traveling to Quito next week, staying in Quito for the surgery and rehab, and finishing housing costs will take another $1000 thanks to the last few hundred dollar donations yesterday. We have raised about $3000 so far!, and need just another $1000 to make this all happen. Please send this blog link on to other family and friends if you havent yet! Thanks for helping change the lives in a massively positive way for two wonderful people Mountain is moving, lets send it speeding!