Elias

My first impression with Elias was one of inspiration.  I first met Elias when he scooted over to me while I was playing with the babies during Baby Hour.  He came over to me, asked what my name was, and then proceeded to pat one of the babies (open handed) in the face.  It took a few people to herd him away from the delicate babies which was when I realized that Elias could not see.
 Elias suffers from loss of vision due to a parasitic infection in utero as well as growth retardation.  He was born without sight and is physically underdeveloped by about 3-5 years.  He currently resides at the home in order to attend doctor’s appointments and physical therapy.  Many of the kids, after having a corrective surgery or medical treatment, remain at the home simply because their families live too far from a hospital or specialist doctor’s office to get their children to the 3 doctors’ appointments that they attend in a week.
 At the Hogar will either see Elias sitting on his bum, scooting backward around the floor of the house or scooting up the stairs.  Anytime you hear the word “Mira!” being yelled, you can be sure that Elias is the voice behind the word.  Elias loves to be involved in the conversation and is always reaching out to hold your hand or pat your arm if you sit nearby.
 Yesterday I spent almost the whole day with Elias to get him to his EEG appointment.  We boarded a mini-van with one of the Hogar staff members at about 7 in the morning and arrived at the Neurologia Pediatria office in Lima.  During the car ride, I discovered Elias’ love for music and natural talent for rhythm.  As Elias sat on my lap, he held my hands in his and tapped along to every song that played on the radio, even the commercial jingles.  No matter what is going on around him, Elias hears any music around him and it always brings a smile to his face.
 At the neurology office, we waited for a couple hours to get his EEG reading completed.  The nurses pulled us into a small room, gave Elias medicine to help him sleep, and set up the electrodes on his head to start the study.  Once Elias slept the medicine off for a couple hours, we hopped back on a bus to get home in time for lunch.
 I now have a new appreciation for the “promptness” of American medical offices.  Despite Elias having a 10 o’clock appointment, he did not see the doctor or have his study done until about 12 pm which the Hogar staff told me is very normal.  Often times the patients will wait for 2-4 hours in the offices until the doctor can see them.  In some cases, a doctor will refuse to see the patient simply because they don’t have time in the day and patients will be expected to return the next day.  Peruvian physicians try their best to help everyone, but like in many countries, the healthcare system does not seem to serve in the patient’s interest.  For this reason, the Hogar has staff who are very good at literally marching into the hospital doors and adamantly advocating for these children.  Graciela has been a staff member at the Hogar for years and is the best at getting the children to their doctor’s checkups in order to expedite their care and hopefully get the kids back to their families as quickly as possible.

- Nicole

Sleepy Elias