Unstoppable

August 9, 2014

Real de Guadalupe August 6, 2014 - Culebra.

The hot Tucson summer has driven me back to the cool climate of San Cristóbal.  I arrived on the day of a tornado that was captured by several locals on film.  This was the third tornado this summer and when the clouds gather overhead you see people anticipating another tornado.  Growing up in US tornado alley, it seems weird to have a tornado in the mountains of southern Mexico.  Wednesday over 200 homes were damage and fortunately no major injuries reported.

Friend of Bela, Ricardo from the Belil Restaurant took this foto of the tornado.

The patient volume for Don Sergio at this time is high and many of the patients I saw three months ago have healed and are no longer coming to the museo clinic.  There is a new batch though: same type of wounds just different people. Don Sergio told me the young man who lost his left leg due to an assault burn injury and severely damaged his right leg is now using crutches and is somewhat mobile. Our 5 year old boy's chest wound and the 3 y/o with a hot water burn have healed well.

On Thursday we traveled to Teopisca and spent most of our time seeing 5 or 6 patients, then back to San Cris to see several patients. The evening clinic was jam packed and thankfully we had Cesar, Iker and Amethyst (who I met last year from Cozumel on vacation) come to help.

Previous class room for elementary school, now a supply storage as Don Sergio finishes the school.

 Friday we went to work on a school in the 'burbs' that Don Sergio has constructed. It seems these are the last two buildings for this school area. Our driver Juanito and friend Alfonso pitched in and Iker called upon his 'posada' friends to help.  

Before painting.

After painting. I learned that adding salt to the paint will prevent it from washing away from the rain when the paint is still wet.

Afterwards Don Sergio and I saw a few patients in the city and I went back to Bela's in the afternoon for a siesta. The museo/clinic gets rolling at 4pm and started slow as it appeared it would rain but then numerous patients showed up. Cesar, Alfsonso, Carolina, Iker and Amethyst were all there so everyone pitched in. There is never a need to talk to each other while working as we all know our places and positions. Its like an orchestra playing a well-known piece of music.

One room before cleaning.

After cleaning.

Las chicas from Argentina just traveling and enjoying life, riding on the wind and sharing memories and friendships and hey, why not help paint a school.  A free life they live and thank goodness they have good health, great attitudes and open minds. They may not have a lot of money, but they seem very rich to me.

Don Sergio hires expert to coat the walls with cement. On Tuesday it will be ready for painting. We will call upon la posada amigos to help us.

At 6pm we were so busy and then Don Sergio had about 15 tourist waiting for a tour.  He ended up giving 2 tours while we saw patients and waited for everyone to leave.  I was exhausted! I don't know how Don Sergio does it, the man is unstoppable and does what's needed to get the job done.

Don Sergio works harder than any 73 year old I know.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer.