Filling new shoes.

Jose Manuel, Ana, and baby Matthew

My last week at Hospital Loma de Luz during my visit in 2023, I met Jose Manuel and Ana. Jose Manuel was a trauma patient in need of multiple surgeries. Walking with the family through the decision making process was difficult, and we tackled them one day at a time. The last surgery, was an amputation of his foot. And then I left. I wasn't sure how he healed or how he had recovered.

Jake and I visited for one week in May 2024. After one of my surgeries I stepped out to the hallway to look for family members, and was greeted by Jose Manuel instead. I did a double take. But sure enough, there he was, all limbs well healed and mobile. He and Ana had heard that I was there and had come to see me, specifically so I could see how he was doing. He and his dad had actually manufactured their own prosthetic that he used to walk around on, and quite honestly they did quite well with the task. So well, in fact, that Hospital Loma de Luz has since then been trying to recruit Jose Manuel to be the staff prosthetist for the hospital.

Today Jose Manuel, Ana, and their baby Matthew were visiting the hospital again. They had multiple reasons for coming today. First, I had recently performed an amputation for a young boy. The same amputation that Jose Manuel had received back in 2023. He paid a visit to our young patient, encouraged him, prayed with him and let him know that he's not alone. Second, Jose Manuel was taken through a few orientation steps as future prosthetist for Hospital Loma de Luz.

It was not under ideal circumstances that Jose Manuel and Ana came to Hospital Loma de Luz, and it's been a long road since. Yet God continues to bless and provide for our relationship with their family.

Prayer request: for Jose Manuel, Ana and baby Matthew. That they could grow and be blessed as a family. That they could find a place, a role and a value as part of the Loma de Luz family as well.

Much Love.