Nine-year-old Lucas Elías stays in good spirits even after a terrible bike accident. He was on his way to his classmate’s house near our Yapacaní sponsor site in Bolivia when he took a terrible fall and faced some serious injuries. Pictured in the wheelchair is Lucas Elías giving us a thumbs up. Although his recovery was going to be a long journey, and the surgery expenses were more than expected, he was grateful for the generosity of Chalice donors.
After Lucas Elías took his tumble, they took him straight to the hospital where X-rays revealed he had a severe fracture in his right leg. The pediatrician transferred him to a traumatologist in a different hospital in a nearby city, Montero.
The traumatologist explained to Lucas Elías’s mother that he needed a bone fixation procedure, inserting plates and screws. The surgery was urgent to avoid complications in his healing.
His mother was happy he was okay, but when the surgeon gave her an estimate for his surgery, it was well beyond her means. Being a single mother of four children made unexpected expenses more challenging. On top of the expenses, Montero is an hour’s drive away, adding transportation costs. Their family needed extra support.
Although his hospitalization and surgery were publicly funded, the surgical implants would be a private expense. His mother approached the Yapacaní sponsor site for guidance. The staff assessed her situation and put forward a request to Chalice.
Thanks to your support, they bought the surgical material and Lucas Elías had the operation. He stayed in the hospital for 15 days. Since Lucas returned home, he’s made four trips to Montero check-ups.
The community stepped in to give them a hand. The mothers of Lucas Elías’s class took up a collection to help him with the travel expenses. They also supported Graciela by taking care of her children while she was in Montero with Lucas.
He did 30 days of physiotherapy and moved around in a wheelchair. After four months, his doctor graduated him to walking with a cane. He’s still a little uncomfortable walking, but his doctor says that his tissues are healing very well. His final operation was scheduled for March 16, 2024, to remove the plates and bolts.
“Thanks to the timely intervention of Chalice and the support and dedication of the entire family, Lucas Elias made a very quick recovery,” Yapacaní worker Noemi says. He won’t be playing soccer for three or four years, but his big brother promised to teach him chess.
“Once out of the clinic, he caught up on all his homework,” Noemi says. “He made it through the 2023 school year, despite having to get around in a wheelchair… Lucas is happy because he managed to pass the grade and keep up his grades.”
“Lucas Elías and his entire family are very grateful to all the people of Yapacaní, to the donors in Canada and to God who did not abandon them in difficult times,” site staff says.
You too can help provide urgent care to others who desperately need to undergo life-saving surgery. Make a difference and support others, like Lucas Elías, in getting back on their feet.
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