Zumilinda

Many of you remember Zumilinda. Her and her sister Luzmida moved in with us around 8 years ago. They came from Andamarca which is considered the red zone. They had no running water or   electric. There were times at night they would lay flat on their dirt floor because of gunshots going off outside. They ended up with us because Zumilinda has Scoliosis so bad that it’s moved her organs and is collapsing her lungs. We’ve made many trips to Lima over the years and also contacted hospitals in the states to find help for her. Her condition back then was too advanced for hospitals in the states to invest in her treatment and in Peru the technology was not available. They told us years ago that she probably would not live past 14, she’s now 14.5 and in a lot of pain. Her left lung is down to 30% usage now. The doctors in Lima say they have new procedures that may reduce her pain and give her a better quality of life. They said two months before surgery they would attach a halo and traction bars by screwing it to her head and hips and during this time she will need to be in Lima for adjustments. The doctor said if they do the surgery it might help and might not and that it's possible she won't make it through the surgery. We explained everything to Zumi, even the fact that she may wake up in Heaven. We asked what she thought and without hesitation she said she wanted to try. We asked why and she said she doesn't want to live like this any more. This is a very brave girl. We worry because public medicine here is not very good and we worry that they might want to try the surgery for practice. However, this is one of the best Children’s Hospitals in the country. Her mom is now in Huancayo so Zumi stays with her most of the time and us occasionally. We will keep you posted as we know many of you have been praying for Zumi for a long time.