HELP FOR FATIMA
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HELPED!
Fatima noticed a painless bump on her foot when she was about 14 years old. She never paid much attention to it until this year, it started to grow. Following surgery, they found a tumor that had gone into her bone and was spreading throughout her foot. She needs an amputation to save her life, but she cannot afford the operation. The health system here in Mexico, Seguro Popular, will pay a part of the surgery but not all of it. They also won't pay for pain killers, dressings, and a prosthesis. Fatima is a single mother with two young children that desperately need her.
Good news. Fatima has had her surgery and is back home. I saw her yesterday and she is in good spirits. She gave me a little info on what will be happening. She has to wait six months before she can be considered for a prosthesis. We didn't discuss how she was going to manage things until then. While I was there, there was a group of women and kids cooking and helping out. So there appears to be no shortage of help - just resources. I am taking her to her next doctor's appt. so I can organize a list of needs and get them paid for.
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Even better news. We went to see her oncologist on Wed (20th) to discuss the pathology report and to have the stitches out on her leg. The pathology report shows that there was no cancer present where the leg was amputated. So she does not need any further surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. The wound is healing slowly and there are no signs of infection. Next follow-up in August. The prosthetic leg cannot be fitted until November/December. We are keeping her in dressings and bandages and pain medication so we can expect her to continue progressing comfortably. She has a walker frame which makes her a little mobile.
We went to the prosthetic leg workshop (or 'the leg factory' as Fatima calls it) on Monday (19 Sep). The stump is healing really well and she was shown the recommended prosthetic leg. It is a custom silicon sleeve with a screw on foot. She should be able to wear it for extended periods and it will be safer on the cobbled streets here. All the streets in the village are loose or semi-loose cobble stones - they are a challenge when you have two legs. Fatima has managed to start using crutches instead of a walker, but you can't get very far on our streets. The only way she is going to get back to taking care of her kids is with a prosthetic leg.
After the leg factory, we went on to the hospital for physical therapy and she is working very hard - and it is paying off. The stump wound is healing great and there is very little swelling. She still has to wait a couple of months for the stump to stabilize before being measure for an artificial leg. Which will be good as it will give me a bit more time to raise more funds. The cost of the leg will be 25000 pesos, and we don't have half that.
Help, Izel and Tlirlally (above) save their mum.
Almost there. Fatima's stump has healed nicely and her doctor said it was stable enough to be measured for a prosthetic leg. So we went back to the leg factory and they made a plaster mold of her leg. It should be ready in a week's time.
I put a down payment of $11,000 which has cleaned us out so now I am trying to get the remainder by next Tuesday. So, I designed a novelty antique share certificate. Now you can buy a few centimetres of Fatima's prosthetic leg and get a personalized share certificate.
Own The Dream!
Now you can buy a share in Fatima's new leg.
This unique stock certificate based on 1900's certificates measures 11x9 and is suitable for framing. I will customize it with your name, donation date and number of shares purchased. Shares are $1 each and a minimum of $100 is needed for a certificate. This is pesos remember, so this would cost you FIVE US dollars. For donations of more than $1000, I will print it on good stock and hand deliver it (if you live Lakeside). Buy one as a gift for a friend.
CLICK CERTIFICATE TO ENLARGE