cure

santo domingo, dominican republic

 CURE 2009

cure dominicana: the faces

Popsie Dr. Scott Nelson Jackie Lynn

Courtney Marni Neslon Sabina

Germania Aaron Cristian

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july two thousand nine
On July 4th, we boarded a plane to
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic,
ready for a month of Spanish-speaking
and vibrant culture. On August 1st, we
reflected on the month, exhausted and
grateful all at once.
While we had expected Courtney to
be fairly busy there, we both worked
harder than we had ever imagined.
Through that hard work, we learned a
lot about patience, and were reminded
that it is truly a blessing and a privilege
to serve others in love.
CURE 2009
One of the highlights of our trip was work to be done. We know that we
seeing God provide one opportunity can’t do it all; but we also know that
after another for Aaron to serve. When there is a unique joy that comes through
we arrived, we were not sure whether obedience to God’s voice, even when
Aaron could even be of help at the we’re tired. And, of course, at the end
CURE Dominicana Hospital. While he of those long days, we were reminded
has many gifts, the hospital is very that our work is the result of the Spirit in
efficient, and relies only very minimally us, not our own ability or strength.
on short-term volunteers. By the time In the following pages, you will find
we left, however, the staff at CURE was the other “highlights” of our trip -- the
very sad to see him go. Not only did he people. Specifically, you will meet the
help in many practical ways - painting four children whose lives have been
an old file cabinet, trouble-shooting for changed through your generous love!
a computer network virus, being a Enjoy the stories...
Spanish translator for visiting American
nurses, ordering new equipment for Dr.
Nelson - but he also made a great
personal impact on the staff. Through
humble service, he aided the work of
CURE and built sincere relationships
with the Dominican staff.
As we seek to live a life centered on
loving service, this trip made us more
aware than ever that there is plenty of
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germania: blount disease
Clinic was busy as usual, a thick stack
of patient charts signifying the many families
crammed in the hallways outside Dr.
Nelson’s door. As our nurse called the next
patient, Germania was carried into the room,
Dad at her head and Mom gingerly holding
her contraption-laden legs. At the CURE
hospital, such a sight is routine; there are a
number of kids with orthopedic fixators just
like Germania’s, often carried by their
parents, for lack of a wheelchair. We soon
learned, however, that Germania was not
just any other patient. While the fixators had
CURE 2009
been placed to correct her abnormal tibias that served as the family’s kitchen/bedroom/
(lower leg bones) over time, we discovered house, where we shared gifts with
that the program of daily adjustments was at Germania, and shared with her about the
a standstill -- her parents had not followed hope she could have in Jesus, who loves
our instructions, which would prevent her her deeply and unconditionally. Later in the
legs from healing properly. Battling afternoon, she walked for the first time
frustration, we approached the problem with since her surgery!
patience, and gradually uncovered the real Because of God’s love poured out
issues: Germania’s mom did not now how to through CURE, Germania not only has the
read, and her dad had such poor vision that opportunity to walk with straight legs for
he could not see the numbers on her fixator. years to come, but she also knows of God’s
Through some extra time at the love for her, His child.
hospital, the help of a neighbor who learned
to make the daily adjustments, and the
courage of our young patient, we caught up
on days lost and jump-started her program.
And one Saturday, we had the opportunity
to accompany Dr. Nelson and his wife Marni
on a visit to Germania’s home.
Germania’s family welcomed us with
smiles, and we spent the afternoon sharing
stories and laughing together. At one point,
Marni and I huddled into the one tiny room
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 CURE 2009

cristian: polio
There was something striking about
Cristian the moment I first met him in
clinic. While he was quiet, it was clear
that he had a sharp mind and a gentle
heart. Brought in with his mother by a
Peace Corps worker who lives in their
town, he had come to CURE to be
evaluated for surgery on his legs the
following week.
When Cristian was a young boy, he
contracted poliomyelitis -- a disease
nearly eradicated in our world thanks to
vaccines, but unfortunately still affecting
the lives of a rare few. Although
Cristian’s legs were not completely
paralyzed by the illness, there was
permanent damage to some of the
nerves, leaving him unable to walk on
his feet. In addition, since losing the use
of those muscles, Cristian had
developed contractures (shortened, stiff
tendons), which distorted the position of
his legs and prevented him from being
able to sit in a wheelchair.
At the CURE clinic, Dr. Nelson
watched Cristian move around the room
on his hands and knees, and carefully

examined each of the muscles in Cristian’s legs. Unfortunately,

he determined that Cristian would not have enough function in
the muscles of his upper legs to allow him to walk, even with
braces. However, it was clear that a surgery to release the
contractures in his legs could allow him to get around in a
wheelchair for the rest of his life -- a “luxury” of which Cristian
and his mother had never dared to dream.
Days after his clinic appointment, Cristian lay in his hospital
bed, recovering from surgery on both legs. Always a quiet-
spirited boy, he fought through the pain, filling the hours with
drawing, and managing a smile on even the toughest of days.
And with the help of Aaron and two young nurses from
Pennsylvania, Cristian soon left the CURE hospital in a new “off-
road” wheelchair to return to his home in the country.

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 CURE 2009

jackie lynn: blount disease

When we arrived in Santo Domingo, her mom to the Dominican capital,

we had no idea that our four-week where Jackie Lynn could receive
journey would lead us to become family cutting-edge treatment for a fraction of
to a young Haitian girl and her mom. the true cost -- a fraction that they
But in that first moment that Jackie would be able to afford.
Lynn and her mom sat in our clinic, it After Jackie Lynn’s surgery, she and
was clear that my knowledge of the her mom moved in just around the
Dominican city and our ability to corner from us, to stay with our sweet
communicate in English would make Dominican friend, Sabina. [On our blog
me and Aaron the perfect ambassadors entries from July, you can read about
for Micheline and Jackie. the crazy day when we helped move
would require a period of continuous
Jackie Lynn first encountered CURE them in.] We were able to serve them
followup, and thus they would need to
when Dr. Nelson operated on her leg by visiting the apartment to bring
come and stay in Santo Domingo for
during one of his quarterly trips to groceries, change Jackie’s bandages,
three months. Such a trip would be
northern Haiti. Unfortunately, the translate Micheline’s English and
financially difficult for even a middle-
traditional surgery used to correct Sabina’s Spanish, and simply spend
class American; but for the common
Blount disease had failed (as it often time with them.
Haitian family, it would be impossible on
does), and her leg continued to grow And now, thanks to the generosity
their own. At one point, Micheline
abnormally. On of many, Jackie Lynn will grow to run
consulted a local surgeon regarding
a follow-up and play with two straight legs, and her
treatment in Haiti, but learned that the
examination in family will know that they were blessed
surgery would cost them the equivalent
Haiti, Dr. Nelson with such a gift because people were
of thousands of American dollars, an
suggested a compelled
amount the family could never fathom.
b e t t e r, m o r e by the
Meanwhile, the culture of tight-knit
d e fi n i t i v e abundant
families allowed the impossible to
treatment with a love of God.
happen -- relatives throughout Jackie
special external
Lynn’s family pitched in to get her and
fixator -- but it
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 CURE 2009

popsie: arthrogryposis
Growing up in Jamaica with no access to
special medical care, Popsie was the poster
child for arthrogryposis, a medical condition
that causes stiff, deformed joints from birth.
And up until this year, he expected to live his
entire life crawling around on his hands and
knees. But when an American couple familiar
with the work of CURE met Popsie and his
family, his future began to change. The
couple provided for Popsie and his mother to
travel across the Caribbean, and soon the
young Jamaican was face-to-face with Dr.
Nelson, at the CURE hospital in Santo
Domingo.
Dr. Nelson took on Popsie’s case with
enthusiasm, knowing the resources and
energy that had been given to bring him to
CURE. At the same time, Dr. Nelson also
entered the case with trepidation, knowing
that cases of arthrogryposis [like that of
Popsie] rarely healed after one surgery -- it
would be a long, uncertain process.
To everyone’s surprise, the initial surgery
(straightening of both legs) and recovery went

exceptionally well, and Popsie seemed on the road to recovery.

Unfortunately, after such encouraging results, the healing process
took an unexpected turn, when Popsie developed an unusual
infection in one of his legs. It took multiple trips back to the
operating room, long-term antibiotic therapy, and a serious
overhaul of Popsie’s diet to eliminate the infection, but that goal of
full recovery eventually happened, thanks to the perseverance
and patience of the entire CURE staff.

With light at the end of the tunnel, Popsie was fitted for orthotics (leg
braces), and the American couple who had sent him to CURE returned to
the Dominican Republic -- with a walker just his size. Then, one day at
the CURE Hospital, we watched as Popsie did something remarkable: he
walked on his feet, small step by small step, across the clinic room. It
had been a long road, and not an easy one, but the reward was beautiful.

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