My name is Leigh, and I am a registered nurse from Los Angeles.  I have been on a number of surgical medical missions, the most recent being in Guatemala. While walking past through the pediatric floor, I came across a 9 year old boy, Edin Sosa, who was crying out in pain. As I walked into the room I found myself unable to leave this little boy.  I inquired about him, and found that he was in the hospital for severe abdominal pain due to a botched appendectomy. The doctors left sponges and surgical items INSIDE him!! He went in for another surgery to fix that, and found that, due to the mistakes made on the appendectomy, he needed to have a large portion of his intestines removed and to have an opening in his belly with an attached bag to “remove” waste (an ileostomy in medical speak). Now that opening has left a large painful wound that has not closed and is causing Edin severe daily pain. He is now dying of malnutrition due to his intestines being unable to absorb any nutrition.

He comes from a very poor family that does not have any money for medical care so they go to the free hospital, which unfortunately is very poor and has no way of treating him. I believe we can save him with specialized care and the right facility, but time is really of the essence, as I’m not sure he has much time left. 

I have tried every avenue I have available to get him to the States for care, but without any success. I have been sending money to the mother for food, medical supplies and several trips to the hospital, which is a 5 hour drive from where they live in a hut. I need your help and would appreciate anything you can donate. Without care at a modern private hospital he will soon pass away.