A
few years ago I was all around the city looking
for a place to have my surgery done, I thought
I wouldn't have this operation done at all. But
I didn't feel bad at all because I knew there
would me a surprise for me. Day past and here
comes the months and the years and it still a
matter of nowhere to get this surgery done.
One day at school I meet Teen Xpress and they
introduce me to Healing the Children and then
they introduce me to Doctor Jeffrey Hartog and
then I finally get this operation done.
To end this I want to than you Teen Xpress and
Healing the Children, a special thank you for
Jim Spurgeon and Eileen Navarro. After all these
years I meet the Healing the Children, I didn't
know do that surgery for so fast and FREE. Thank
you Healing the Children and may God Bless You.
Ednel
is a seventeen year old, who lives in Central
Florida. He came to Healing the Children through
Teen Express, a mobile health unit that provides
healthcare to teens on the east side of Orlando.
It is difficult to tell from this picture, but
Ednel had a cyst on his right eye, just below
the eyebrow. The cyst had been there for as long
as he could remember, but it was getting bigger.
About 5 centimeters in diameter, without treatment
the growth might have impaired his vision. Not
to mention the social stigma associated with facial
deformities.
Ednel
had been scheduled for surgery several years ago,
but his family could not afford the co-pay. Since
that time, they have lost their health insurance.
Dr. Jeffery Hartog, of the Bougainvillea Clinique,
agreed to treat the boy. But he needed a CAT Scan
to be sure that there were no vascular issues
with the cyst. After a month or so of trying to
find a donated CT scan, Ednel was referred to
a Shepherd’s Hope clinic, and subsequently
received his CT Scan at no charge to the family.
Dr.
Hartog was able to successfully remove the cyst
from Ednel’s eye in June. As a result he
has found a new sense of confidence, though this
boy was never lacking in charisma. He has become
an outspoken advocate for Healing the Children.
When Jim Spurgeon met with his family to take
this picture, there were a few hugs and a lot
of tears, but Ednel’s smile was one gift
that made all of the hard work worthwhile.
