Emergency Surgery for Captain Pico
Donation protected
Pico changed the course of my life. When I came to the Amazon and began going on long expeditions with JJ and learning the forest, Pico was the one always keeping us safe. He drove the boat on almost every one of the long expeditions we went on. He was always the one scowling at the horizon, reading the river, and making sure we don't run aground or worse. And over the years Pico became one of my closest friends. Our adventures together became the stories I tell in my first book 'Mother of God'.
Pico has been disabled most of his life. He grew up in the indigenous community of Infierno. When he was only sixteen a tree fell on him, shattering his back and causing him to spend a year and a half in a hospital bed recovering. It left him in constant pain, and with one leg that had chronic circulation problems. As long as I’ve known him Pico has walked with a limp.
In the 1990’s when all the other men were logging mahogany, Pico was unable to keep up or lift heavy loads, and so he instead was always the designated boat driver. This is how he became one of the most talented and respected boat drivers in the region. When we began Tamandua Expeditions, Pico became our most trusted boat driver, and piloted people from all over the world safely through the waterways of Amazonia.
Pico's family live simply. Their house is made of boards, tarp, and corrugated steel. But what they lack in extravagance they make up for in warmth.
Why we need to help Pico now:
Earlier this year Pico broke his leg badly. The tibia and fibula were completely shattered beneath the skin. But because of Covid-19 the tourism industry in Peru has been completely shut down, and so Pico has been doing farm work. This means that his leg never got time to heal. And because of his past trauma and the circulation issues he spent months in constant, agonizing pain. The bones in his leg remain completely unhealed. Currently the leg has lesions, a bone infection, and is becoming a serious threat to Pico’s health.
For a long time we thought we needed surgery to fix the bones. But that is no longer an option.
The plan:
The only option left is to amputate the leg. This will alleviate the pain that Pico has been suffering for most of his life. It will also, with the help of a prosthetic, mean that he could potentially walk without crutches for the first time in years.
Though this is sobering news, the doctors say that without this leg that is a constant problem, he should improve. He will probably walk much better than he does now. So after careful consideration we are moving forward. Pico and his family are dependent wholly on our help. Please contribute to help someone who has been disabled for decades become healthy. You’ll also be helping his wife, children, and grandchild who depend on him.
Pico has been disabled most of his life. He grew up in the indigenous community of Infierno. When he was only sixteen a tree fell on him, shattering his back and causing him to spend a year and a half in a hospital bed recovering. It left him in constant pain, and with one leg that had chronic circulation problems. As long as I’ve known him Pico has walked with a limp.
In the 1990’s when all the other men were logging mahogany, Pico was unable to keep up or lift heavy loads, and so he instead was always the designated boat driver. This is how he became one of the most talented and respected boat drivers in the region. When we began Tamandua Expeditions, Pico became our most trusted boat driver, and piloted people from all over the world safely through the waterways of Amazonia.
Pico's family live simply. Their house is made of boards, tarp, and corrugated steel. But what they lack in extravagance they make up for in warmth.
Why we need to help Pico now:
Earlier this year Pico broke his leg badly. The tibia and fibula were completely shattered beneath the skin. But because of Covid-19 the tourism industry in Peru has been completely shut down, and so Pico has been doing farm work. This means that his leg never got time to heal. And because of his past trauma and the circulation issues he spent months in constant, agonizing pain. The bones in his leg remain completely unhealed. Currently the leg has lesions, a bone infection, and is becoming a serious threat to Pico’s health.
For a long time we thought we needed surgery to fix the bones. But that is no longer an option.
The plan:
The only option left is to amputate the leg. This will alleviate the pain that Pico has been suffering for most of his life. It will also, with the help of a prosthetic, mean that he could potentially walk without crutches for the first time in years.
Though this is sobering news, the doctors say that without this leg that is a constant problem, he should improve. He will probably walk much better than he does now. So after careful consideration we are moving forward. Pico and his family are dependent wholly on our help. Please contribute to help someone who has been disabled for decades become healthy. You’ll also be helping his wife, children, and grandchild who depend on him.
Organizer
Paul Rosolie
Organizer
Red Hook, NY