Organized by Somos Amigos Medical Missions
Somos Amigos: Helping Our Friend Beat Cancer
Euclides has been working closely with Somos Amigos for more than twenty years. Post-pandemic, he has worked in our dental clinic sterilizing instruments. Euclides is about as loyal a friend as one could hope for, and he has done and would do anything for us. When he is not working with Somos Amigos, he is a taxi driver based at the Santiago airport.
Euclides has no regular salary nor health insurance beyond the modest program offered by government (Uber has made a huge dent in the livelihood of taxi drivers in the D.R.). In the past when an illness or injury reached the point of concern, he has usually gone to an emergency room or public hospital. He buys prescriptions one pill at a time.
On our April trip, Euclides accidentally pricked himself with a sharp instrument when he was sterilizing. Our protocols kicked in, and Claribel ran several blood tests. One of our physicians noticed an abnormality, and this, combined with some symptoms Euclides had been experiencing for several months, prompted us to refer him to Profamilia.
Further evaluation, including by specialists, has determined that Euclides has colon cancer. Fortunately, it appears that the cancer has not spread to other organs or to other parts of his body. He needs surgery soon to remove the tumor and a part of his intestine.
In the public system, where government insurance would cover some or most of the expenses, there is an 8+ month waiting list to get on the surgical calendar. Quite simply, Euclides cannot wait that long. We have been in touch with a private clinic and surgeon, and with them the surgery can be scheduled within a matter of days.
Going this route means the surgery must be paid for out-of-pocket. This includes the surgeon's fees, materials used, pre-op and post-op tests and studies, and hospital expenses. We anticipate the total to be around $7,500. By U.S. standards, that seems almost more like a deductible!
Even though it is a relatively small amount, for us it is huge. As we near the end of our fiscal year, we have depleted the funds we had set aside for referral patient expenses, and 69 patients have benefitted from those referrals since July 1. And so we are reaching out to those of you who know Euclides to ask for your help.
If we exceed our target, and/or if there remain funds in the account once his treatment has concluded, we will turn over the remaining funds to Euclides to help make up for the income he will lose as a taxi driver; he will likely not be able to work for several weeks, and he supports his six children and mother.
We can all think of patients who have touched us in special ways. Euclides has never asked for anything, and as I mentioned, he would do anything for any one of us and for Somos Amigos. I can’t speak enough to the kind of person he is. If there were ever a time we should embark on something extraordinary for an individual, this is that time and that person.
Thank you for your generosity.
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