CANADIANS HELPING CARO TO WALK
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A BICYCLE ACCIDENT AT AGE 12 left Carolina “Caro” Lopez crippled. Upon impact, the bicycle seat apparently broke her femur (thigh bone) and hip, and shoved the bones upward into her abdomen. Her financially strapped parents were unable to obtain first-rate medical help for Caro. Two years later, doctors surgically implanted a type of now-obsolete steel plate and screws in a desperate attempt to repair her leg, hips and pelvis. The doctors then told Caro that — if she lived – she’d never walk again, and would never lead a normal life or be able to have children.
DESPITE THE DOCTOR’S DIRE PREDICTIONS, Caro survived and eventually decided to take rehabilitation into her own hands.
YEARS LATER CARO MARRIED and started working toward a university degree in Psychology in Guadalajara. She enjoyed her classes and made friends. Ten years into her marriage, Caro’s husband decided he wanted children after all, which Caro was unable to give him. So he left her. She tried to remain in college, but about halfway through her course of study, she was forced to drop out and work to support herself.
FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, Caro worked at various jobs and at a serious relationship with a new man in her life. Then a little over a year ago — much to everyone’s surprise — Caro discovered she was pregnant. Being a mother was a seemingly unattainable, lifelong dream. It was the happiest moment of her life, full of joy and promise. Unlike her former husband, the boyfriend had no desire to become a dad. When he found out Caro was pregnant, he made a quick exit from her life.
With a bolted pelvis, hip and leg, carrying a baby was no easy task. Being pregnant and unable to work, she moved back in with her mother and father. Shortly afterwards, Caro’s beloved father – her lone familial ally — was diagnosed with cancer. He died in Caro’s fifth month of pregnancy. His loss was devastating. Only the soon-to-be-born baby made his loss bearable.
ON NOV. 10, 2017, AT FULL-TERM, a beautiful baby boy was born by cesarean section. Caro named him Gael Alexander. Tragically, due to a rare heart defect, little Gael wasn’t destined to live. With his heart slowly failing, Caro held him in her arms and sang to him until he died the following day.
With no home or family support, Caro moved to Ixtlahuacán (just north of Chapala) and briefly stayed with her friend and her friend’s husband during her early physical and emotional recovery from Gael’s birth and death.
SO, HERE WE ARE IN 2019. Carolina is by far one of the most positive and engaging persons one could ever wish to meet; even after enduring the life-changing injuries and pain from her tragic accident 26 years ago.
Without surgery, doctors say, the bones will continue to crumble, and she is facing life-threatening infection and possibly amputation.
Doctors and orthopedic surgeons at the Hospital Civil envision a pain-free life with near full mobility for Caro, IF – in a series of three surgeries — she has the metal plates removed and both hip joints (which are collapsed) replaced as soon as possible. Recently, the metal plates were removed in a difficult operation due to the overgrowth of encrusted bone.
Fortunately, a small portion of costs for these very expensive surgeries will be covered by the Hospital Civil and Mexico’s Seguro Popular healthcare program. However, many associated costs — including the prosthetic hip devices — are not covered, and are financially out-of-reach for Caro.
Caro needs our financial help. As Canadians our health care system covers virtually all of the costs; but here in Mexico, she needs $35,000 Canadian Dollars to purchase the two hip devices, necessary dental treatments and to pay for all out of hospital medical costs over the next two years.
Help Caro Walk! Your donations will give her a life she has never had. Your generous donations will collectively help to give Carolina the freedom, we sometimes take for granted.
With her grateful thanks, please donate
DESPITE THE DOCTOR’S DIRE PREDICTIONS, Caro survived and eventually decided to take rehabilitation into her own hands.
YEARS LATER CARO MARRIED and started working toward a university degree in Psychology in Guadalajara. She enjoyed her classes and made friends. Ten years into her marriage, Caro’s husband decided he wanted children after all, which Caro was unable to give him. So he left her. She tried to remain in college, but about halfway through her course of study, she was forced to drop out and work to support herself.
FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, Caro worked at various jobs and at a serious relationship with a new man in her life. Then a little over a year ago — much to everyone’s surprise — Caro discovered she was pregnant. Being a mother was a seemingly unattainable, lifelong dream. It was the happiest moment of her life, full of joy and promise. Unlike her former husband, the boyfriend had no desire to become a dad. When he found out Caro was pregnant, he made a quick exit from her life.
With a bolted pelvis, hip and leg, carrying a baby was no easy task. Being pregnant and unable to work, she moved back in with her mother and father. Shortly afterwards, Caro’s beloved father – her lone familial ally — was diagnosed with cancer. He died in Caro’s fifth month of pregnancy. His loss was devastating. Only the soon-to-be-born baby made his loss bearable.
ON NOV. 10, 2017, AT FULL-TERM, a beautiful baby boy was born by cesarean section. Caro named him Gael Alexander. Tragically, due to a rare heart defect, little Gael wasn’t destined to live. With his heart slowly failing, Caro held him in her arms and sang to him until he died the following day.
With no home or family support, Caro moved to Ixtlahuacán (just north of Chapala) and briefly stayed with her friend and her friend’s husband during her early physical and emotional recovery from Gael’s birth and death.
SO, HERE WE ARE IN 2019. Carolina is by far one of the most positive and engaging persons one could ever wish to meet; even after enduring the life-changing injuries and pain from her tragic accident 26 years ago.
Without surgery, doctors say, the bones will continue to crumble, and she is facing life-threatening infection and possibly amputation.
Doctors and orthopedic surgeons at the Hospital Civil envision a pain-free life with near full mobility for Caro, IF – in a series of three surgeries — she has the metal plates removed and both hip joints (which are collapsed) replaced as soon as possible. Recently, the metal plates were removed in a difficult operation due to the overgrowth of encrusted bone.
Fortunately, a small portion of costs for these very expensive surgeries will be covered by the Hospital Civil and Mexico’s Seguro Popular healthcare program. However, many associated costs — including the prosthetic hip devices — are not covered, and are financially out-of-reach for Caro.
Caro needs our financial help. As Canadians our health care system covers virtually all of the costs; but here in Mexico, she needs $35,000 Canadian Dollars to purchase the two hip devices, necessary dental treatments and to pay for all out of hospital medical costs over the next two years.
Help Caro Walk! Your donations will give her a life she has never had. Your generous donations will collectively help to give Carolina the freedom, we sometimes take for granted.
With her grateful thanks, please donate
Organizer
Bob Foster
Organizer
Nanaimo, BC
