Many of you have given to help Yosselin get the surgery she so desperately needs. Many more of you have been praying for her and her family. So, I wanted to take a moment to give you an update on her surgery this morning and explain to you how it almost did not happen.
Despite the good news, these moments were tough for Yosselin’s parents, Edgar and Jesu. Even though she was doing well, it is tough to see your infant daughter with half her head shaved, bandaged and crying. They could not even pick her up to comfort her for the first few hours until she was stabilized. So both of them struggled through tears for the first hour after she was out of surgery.
The doctor reported that the surgery went wonderfully, the pressure was greatly reduced and he expects a full recovery barring complications. So, we give praise to God for His provision through His people and for His care for Yosselin.
Last week, though, we hit a crisis that made us wonder if the surgery was going to happen at all…
On Tuesday we drove Brittney back to San Pablo following Thanksgiving weekend. It was time for our monthly trip there, so we combined family visits and deliveries with taking her home. Carissa and Jeremiah traveled with us and spent Tuesday night with Brittney and we all did visits on Wednesday. And Yosselin and her family were our fifth stop of the day.
When we arrived I greeted them and asked them if they were ready for surgery on Tuesday. Both Edgar and Jesu responded by looking uncomfortable and telling me that they had changed their mind about having the surgery. It seems that some family members and friends had been telling them that surgery was a bad idea. In fact, someone told them that almost every child who has this surgery dies almost immediately. (And I guess this is a possibility if the surgeries were done in the national hospital.)
This is a major problem here in Guatemala. So many people give medical advise, even though they have no real knowledge to back it up. Families are pressured to make bad decisions on a regular basis, neighbors give unfinished medicines to other neighbors and old wives tales are used to treat serious medical conditions. And often people die as a result.
So, we spent the next hour talking with her parents, seeking to convince them of how urgently she needed the surgery. I explained that yes, there were possible complications of the surgery. And, yes, she could die. But I also explained that they were not likely outcomes. We told them that is why we were paying for the best neurosurgeon to do the surgery at one of the best hospitals. And, by doing so, we were greatly reducing the risks over having the same procedure at the national hospital. And we told them that if they did not have the surgery, her head would continue to grow, pressure would increase, brain damage would become more severe, her pain would grow and she would eventually die.
Gerardo called the neurosurgeon who spoke to them on speaker phone and explained how necessary the surgery was. He then called the mother of Misael, who also has hydrocephalus. She spoke to them for 20 minutes in a very direct way, telling them that the surgery was crucial and they needed to have it done.
Then, after everything else was done, I spoke to them heart-to-heart. I showed them a picture of my family and pointed out Joshua, who has a shunt. I told them that I have the heart of a father and understand their love and concern for their daughter. And I told them that if Yosselin was my daughter I would have the surgery as quickly as possible and that I would have this doctor do it at this hospital. And I concluded by begging them to trust me.
They told us that they would call us the next day with their answer. So we left…and prayed…and prayed…and prayed. Finally, Thursday evening they called us and told us they wanted to proceed with the surgery! And I breathed a sigh of relief…for about three minutes.
At that point a solemn reality hit me right between the eyes. I had done everything I could do to talk these parents into having this surgery, and they had chosen to trust me. Which meant they would likely hold me responsible if something went wrong. And while our primary concern was Yosselin’s life, this was no small concern. If they and their family held us responsible for problems, it would likely result in the end of our ability to minister in San Pablo La Laguna. In fact, it would likely make it dangerous for us to go into that town as some may decide that we need to be punished or killed. And it could also make things very dangerous for Brittney, who lives right in the middle of that town now. In other words, I had placed our entire ministry in San Pablo on the line. And this gave me another reason to pray fervently for today’s surgery.
So yesterday Yosselin and her very scared parents took a chicken bus to Chimaltenango where Manuel and Gerardo met them and took them to Hospital Maranatha in Guatemala City. We decided to pay $45 extra per night for a private room in the hospital so both her mom and dad would be allowed to stay with her overnight. When we saw how frantic both of them were we felt that it was right and best to keep the family together.
Then this morning she had the surgery, and you already know the outcome. As we stood in the room with her, her dad turned to me and said, “Please give everyone who gave to help our daughter our deepest thanks! Without them, our daughter could never have had this surgery and care!” He was crying as he said this.
So, thank you! To each of you who have given and prayed for Yosselin, please receive the gratitude of a desperate father and mother. And please receive my gratitude as well. Without you, this would not be possible.
If all goes well, Yosselin should leave the hospital on Thursday or Friday. When she does, we will drive them back to San Pablo because we don’t want to place them on a crowded bus while she is recovering. We will then bring them back for a follow-up appointment eight days later.
Continue to pray for Yosselin. She is eating well now, which is a good sign. Pray that there are no complications, including infection. And pray that Jesus is glorified.
Thanks for all you do to make this kind of ministry possible! I am profoundly grateful!
Because of Him!
Daryl, Wanda and the Crew
