July 2012 - Alfredo's healing

Tragedy struck the Rodriquez family when their happy, lively 8 year old son, Alfredo, became gravely ill. He was admitted to the children’s hospital in Juarez and diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a serious disorder where the immune system starts attacking part of the nervous system. Alfredo’s condition quickly deteriorated as he started becoming paralyzed. He could no longer eat or swallow so was being fed through a nasal tube. He was unable to breathe on his own so the doctors did a tracheotomy, and he was put on a breathing machine. The only thing Alfredo could do was to smile and move his eyes – and his grandmother told us, “He never lost that beautiful smile.”

After three months of treatment, including being moved to intensive care, the doctor in charge told the family to expect the worse. “Nothing is working,” he said. “One possibility, however, is if you were able to come up with $150,000 pesos (about $11,000 U.S.) the boy could be taken to Mexico City or Monterrey where they have more specialized machines which are not available here in Juarez.”   So this very poor family, with barely enough to live on, frantically tried to raise the money.

Hearing of their plight, Carmen, one of their neighbors who comes regularly to the Lord’s Food Bank, brought them the prayer card of Father Thomas. She told them, “Look, let’s start asking Father Thomas for help.” The family knew Father Thomas – in fact, Alfredo’s mother had made her First Communion at the Food Bank when she was a young girl. Carmen went on, “I’m going to pray this prayer for Alfredo every day with my children.” And the Rodriguez family all agreed that they would pray the prayer also.

A few days later the doctor told them, “I don’t know what happened, I don’t understand, but the boy is fine now. We don’t have to take him to Mexico City. Why should we take him to Mexico City, when there is nothing wrong with him? I can’t explain what happened – but the child is fine. We’re going to keep him here two more weeks to make sure, but then I am going to send him home.” When they removed the tracheotomy tube, the hole in Alfredo’s throat had healed by the next morning. The doctor was very surprised at that because he had told the family it would take 3-4 days for the opening to heal.

Alfredo’s family brought him to the Food Bank soon after he had been released from the hospital, so they could give thanks to God. Everyone was thrilled to see Alfredo so happy and healthy. He is eating fine, talking normally, and after receiving some physical therapy for his weakened muscles, he is back to walking again. Thank you Jesus!