Andrea weighed just 4.1 pounds when she arrived at the nutrition center in March.
She would be considered underweight for a newborn, but she was already three months old. To make matters worse, the tendons in her legs did not form correctly in utero and she was unable to control them.
Her first few weeks at the nutrition center were difficult. She had allergies and a cold and had to be constantly monitored because she was so delicate. But after that, she began improving pretty quickly. She was drinking milk formula well and within two months had already doubled her weight.
As her body became stronger, it became clear that her legs needed to be operated on or she would never learn to crawl nor walk. By July, she was strong enough to be considered for a surgery, and so the trips to the hospital in San Pedro began (about 4 hours by bus). Her first trip went well. The hospital requested some exams and for her to come back for a follow up in a couple of weeks to program the surgery. So Andrea went back again and the surgery was scheduled, just two weeks away! Practically unheard of to be seen so quickly.
So she went back on August 17th to be admitted for her surgery on the 18th. But the surgeon had been scheduled incorrectly and wasn't in. So they rescheduled her for two weeks later. She got back on bus for the four our ride back to Yoro. Then, on her trip at the beginning of September she began coughing in front of the doctor a few hours before surgery was set to begin. So they rescheduled again. This time for mid-October. When that date came around, we found out that the surgeon was on vacation and would not return until early November. In early November, a medical brigade was using every OR in the hospital, so Andrea couldn't get in.
Finally, just two weeks ago, Andrea got the operation she had been waiting months for. And everything went exactly as intended. Next week, she will celebrate her first birthday as a healthy one-year-old, something that seemed impossible a few months ago. Click here if you would like to make a gift to support Andrea and other children like her!