Cochabamba Re-Cap: The Most Productive 3 Days Ever Had by Anyone in Bolivia

We are writing from sunny Iquique, Peru, an amazing vacation spot on the northern Chilean coast. The last few days have been very eventful with trips to Rurrenabaque, a small town in the Amazon jungle, the Bolivian pampas region (savannah), and finally to northern Chile. More to come on those experiences later...

We spent an exhausting but rewarding and exhilirating final 4 days in Cochabamba last Wednesday - Saturday. On the way to the burn center on Wednesday morning we scribbled down the following to-do list on a napkin we found stuck in the seat:
1. Pay Juan Carlos´s medical bill in its entirety
2. Purchase mechanical ventilator for burn center
3. Purchase flat screen televisions and mount them on the walls in the childrens´rooms in the burn center
4. Arrange post-Cochabamba travel plans
5. Spend quality time with the children in the burn center
6. Visit the Albergue Orphanage for burned children
7. Prepare for visit to Cochabamba by Dr. Elliott Chen, plastic surgeon from the USC School of Medicine

In somewhat miraculous fashion, we checked off our final box on Friday afternoon upon the arrival of Dr. Chen to Cochabamba. A few details about each task:

1. Juan Carlos is a child currently residing in the burn center who has been there for nearly 4 months following a significant gas explosion in his home. He received third degree burns to over half his body including his face, ears, arms, legs, and torso. His chances of survival upon arrival were minimal and no one expected him to live for more than a few days. Four months later, he is bouncing around the burn center, blowing through his rehabilitation regimen, and winning over every last heart in the place. He still has mountains to climb as he will need multiple reconstructive surgeries in the future; this, however, takes nothing away from that which he has already accomplished: a chance at a normal life following a near devestating injury.

Juan Carlos´s family is extremely poor and were recently served with a $4,000 (USD) medical bill, an amount that far surpasses that on which they live in a year, or more like 5 years. When we heard his story and were presented with his financial situation we immediately began inquiring about ways to help. Juan Carlos´s father was able to come up with $300 on his own, a feat in itself, and Dr. Romero negotiated with the hospital to decrease the remainder of the bill to $2,000 by telling them "accept this or get nothing at all." The hospital agreed and after hours of running from office to office and bank to bank, the three of us finally handed over 14,000 Bolivianos, the equivalent of $2000, and in return received gracious and overwhelming thanks for the staff and hospital who have come to adore this incredible child. With a clean financial profile, Juan Carlos is now cleared to continue receiving care in the burn center and to be eligible for the reconstructive surgeries he now requires.

2. & 3. The entirety of the day Thursday was devoted to finalizing the purchase of a mechanical ventilator to the burn center and making other much needed donations to benefit the children. After meeting with the ventilator vendor, we all piled in a taxi and made our way to the bank where we wire transferred $8,500 to his account, finalizing what has been a 4-month process. The ventilator was set to be delivered to the burn center the following day and be fully operational the following week. To read more about this donation and its need, go to http://www.ms4bcv.org/1/?p=284

As mentioned in our last blog post, we identified a serious lack of entertainment of the most critically ill patients who spend each day bound to their beds with nothing to do. By midday Thursday, having just completed the sale of the ventilator, we found ourselves in the middle of the Cancha, South America´s largest open-air market, shopping for flat screen televisions. The Cancha is no BestBuy and the TV vendors are intermixed between stalls selling anything from soccer jerseys to empanadas. We found a trustworthy vendor and before we knew it we had purchased two 32´televisions and were arranging for them to be installed on the walls of the burn center that evening. Josh and I, after visiting the Albergue Children´ orphanage for burned children (Item 6 - Check!) went back to the burn center to await the technician who would install the TV´s. He was, of course, 45 minutes late which conveniently gave us time to spend with the children. As soon as he walked in with the televisions the room errupted in chatter and the children began chanting "Tele! Tele!" They watched in amazement (along with Josh and me) as the televisions made their way from the boxes to the wall, and the excitement was palpable and contagious. Josh and I literally felt like kids on Christmas and I think I finally have a true appreciation for "Santa Claus" and the joy he represents. At 10 PM, 3 hours after the technician arrived, 8 hours after the TVs were purchased, and 14 hours after the day began, Josh and I left the burn center and met Daniel, having spend hours with the children, easily the most meaningful hours of this trip to-date (Item 5 - check!).

We hurriedly scheduled our post-Cochabamba plans, simply purchasing plane tickets and vowing to figure the rest out when we arrived at our destinations, and began preparing for Dr. Chen´s visit the next morning. More to come on that when we return to the US - there is much to tell about his visit and how it may shape the future of MS4BCI.

Thank you so much for everything that all of you have done to make these donations possible. We left the burn center without a shred of doubt that we were leaving it a better place than before we arrived. This was exactly the goal we had in mind when we started MS4BCI three years ago and to be a direct part of accomplishing it (with TONS of help of course) is among the most rewarding endeavors of which we´ve ever been a part.