My Friend Willliam

Boy did it rain last night. The sort of rain that comes along only every so often. The sort of rain that has people stop whatever they are doing and stare through their windows in disbelief. The sort of rain that causes damage and flooding.

The rain really got me thinking about all of the people living in the “Jovencitos” (a term used to describe the squatter or invasion communities that encircle many of the urban centers in Latin America). Their floors are dirt and their roofs are woven mats. The rain for them is much more than a simple inconvenience.

Look, I am from Portland – we know rain; and the rain that came down over a short 5-hour period last night was amazing. This morning on my run I saw makeshift dams that people built with ciliar rocks (compressed volcanic ash that is quarrierd close to the surface in and around the Arequipa area; this is the etiology of the famous "White City") and dirt to divert the water from flooding their homes. The streets all around our area are caked with mud and dirt. The dirt roads that lead to the poorest settlement communities have been distorted from the channels of water that developed in the middle of the by-ways.

The rain really got me thinking about a young friend of mine living in a Jovencito in Lima. William, not his real name, is one of the lucky ones – sort of. He and his family live in the back of a restaurant high in the hills. Their floor is concrete and the roof that protects them from the elements is a finely placed corrugated structure. They never have to worry about the rain.

“I have a small ‘problemo’ that happens 4-5 times every day at school,” William told me. William’s “problem” has significantly altered his life. His problem has caused an otherwise shy 12-year old boy to retreat into isolation. His problem is taking a significant toll on his emotional and mental development.

William was born with hydrocephalus or “water on the brain” (it is actually a build up of CSF - but much folklore surrounds the idea of "water" accumulation). The developing world knows its fair share of hydrocephaly cases; and for the most part, has initiated the necessary resources to adequately deal with the population of patients afflicted with the condition.

When William was very young a shunt was place in his head that would drain the fluid into his abdomen. The procedure is not without risk, but a fairly common procedure none-the-less. When William was a bit older he had another surgery to replace the original shunt – this is where his “problemo” started.

As best I can tell from talking with William’s mother and examining the young boy – this second procedure brought a myriad of complications. The complication that most affects William (and an issue he refers to as his “problemo”) is born out of a problem with a tiny nerve. During William’s second procedure the nerve that helps him control his bladder function and his anal sphincter was cut. This seemingly minor issue has led to fecal and urinary incontinence.

“I can handle the ‘problemo’ – it is just the smell. I am really embarrassed for the smell.”

William wears protective undergarments. He told me that we can go through up to 10 pair of “protection” per day. He always fears that time at school when he runs out of “protection.” He fears the inevitable attention and ridicule that comes.

His family is very poor – and although they work to ensure that William has enough “protection” to attend school, he never has enough.

HBI is working with the Anglican Church to develop a nursing care coordinator position. We envision a position that will train a person that will be available to advocate for William’s needs, help with care enrollment for Ines, and work to connect the dots of care for many of the fragile children living in desperate poverty in the Pueblos Jovenes of Lima.

Please keep William in your thoughts, your prayers, your meditations, your good intentions. Please help us to let William know that he is not alone.

Creating Community

It is such an honor to be asked into the home of a friend and be treated with respect and admiration. It is even more amazing to be welcomed into the home of a person you hardly know and become the guest of honor. Such was the case for our team in Lima at the recent Baptismal services for one of the special people to HBI.

As is the tradition in Peru, when a child is to begin an important phase of their life or accept an important transition – two people are jointly selected to act as the “Padrino’s” for that child. The Padrino (Godfather and Godmother) is a special person in a child’s life – as they act as a confidant, a mentor and a supportive influence . . . not too mention they provide the financial support that is a customary responsibility (as many people who request Padrino’s for their children are without the financial means to be able to put on the parties or the events that are customary for the occasions).

Reverend Patricia Blanchard and I were asked to be the Padrino’s for a beautiful young girl who is part of a special program operated in collaboration with HBI and the Anglican Church of Peru. Ines is a four year-old child with a debilitating skin condition that leaves her in near constant pain. Pain that often left her unable to walk and writhing with every bite full of food. We all knew this sad truth, and our goal for this special day with Ines was to shower her with love and affection.

The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Ines was fully in her element all decked out in her new Baptismal outfit. The pink bows in her hair made her look like a little doll that had been pulled right off the shelf. The service was a full mass and involved a group of about 30 neighbors and well wishers who had all come on this Saturday afternoon to honor a young lady whose life has been anything but simple or easy.

Standing in the thatched roof church with its uneven dirt floor – made the experience even more impacting. Here, in one of the poorest Pueblo Jovenes in Lima, was a true expression of the power of love. We collectively were united in our hope for this beautiful little girl – and the promise of a future that was relinquished of suffering.

Following the ceremony our team was invited to the home of the Ines’ family. There, we were treated to an amazing meal straight from the earth. The meal was an ancient tradition from the Sierra called “Pachamanca,” or offering to the earth god. The banquet, a bounty of yuca, corn, legumes, potatoes and every type of sweet potato you could ever think of – was extracted from an open pit dug into the earth and covered with rocks that had been heated in a searing fire.

Buried in the center of the pit was a large pot filled with chicken and herbs. This was a meal like no other. The food was carefully removed from its terrestrial oven and lovingly served to our “team of honor” plate by plate –

no, make that . . . heaping plate by heaping plate. We were humbled by the generosity and care that this extremely impoverished family put into creating a truly memorable celebration for their cherished daughter.

It is an amazing experience and a great honor to be a part of the life of such a beautiful little child. By the end of our incredible meal we all felt a collective sense of tremendous gratitude for a family that sacrificed so much.