Sergio Castro's Humanitarian Efforts for Chiapas' Underprivileged

Amigos del Andalon

2011-11-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

November 17, 2011

This trip has solidified a group of people that are highly motivated to help Don Sergio. Our meeting in San Miguel 3 weeks ago was the first time some of us met face-to-face even though we've been corresponding via email for a couple of years. The common denominator of our connection is that we are deeply inspired by Sergio Castro's tireless humanitarian works.

We call ourselves Amigos del Andalon and our mission is to help Don Sergio continue his humanitarian work.

If you are interested in helping in any way, please feel free to contact us via our respective email address below.

Amigos del Andalon

Mary Murrell, PhD, resides in San Miguel de Allende and has known Don Sergio for more than 3 years. She is the main contact for fund raising and arranging group donations.

Consuelo Alba and John Speyer, Veremos Productions, are film makers of El Andalon which has won several awards and is still on the International Independant Film Festival circuit. The film is not available for purchase at this time but will be in the near future. This couple has used an enormous amount of energy, time and finances to make this film possible.

Betsy McNair, owner of My Mexico Tours and avid lover of Mexico, met Don Sergio in the 1990s and has lead numerous tour groups through Mexico and includes a tour to Don Sergio's museum. She introduced the film makers Consuelo and John to Don Sergio.

Patricia Ferrer, MPAS, PA-C. After meeting Don Sergio in November 2008 I travel to San Cristobal semi-annually bringing medical supplies and working along side this maverick humanitarian. See this blog.

Beautiful San Cristobal

2011-11-09T01:10:00.000-08:00

8 de novembre 2011

Sergio and I with taxi driver Jose Luis. Kathleen ended up using Jose Luis' services and we liked him so much he became our regular driver.

We had a new house call to see today. The daughter of a 78 year old man had met us at the door of the museo to take us to her home to evaluate him. His significant water retention in his lowee legs and poor eyesight lead me to believe he probably has diabetes. His wife said no, his last visit to the doctor was for joint pain and was given a strong anti-inflammatory which helped but I don't think he was checked for diabetes. Per the patient, the doctor said there was nothing else that could be done. The patient developed a superficial abrasion on his left foot which we cleaned an dressed, however we could offer nothing for the swelling, other than he elevate his legs.

On the way to see other patients we stopped by a building to inquire about the cost of desks for Don Sergio's most recent school project, Vista Hermosa. The store was located in the more industrial side of San Cris next to a mechanic shop. These desks are basic but will do nicely for the students. All we need now is the funding to buy forty.

Two more patients later and I was free for the day, until 330. Bela and Manuela had a celebratory final luncheon ready at 230 that was delicous: empanadas, green beans, home-made salsa and jimiaca.

There is a local dermatologist that comes to San Cristobal on certain days that I've been wanting to meet to take our patients that needed biopsies for diagnosis. I finally met him today and it turns out he does not do biopsies: he sends the patients to Tuxtla where, from what I could understand, a dermatopathologist does the biopsy. This seems odd to me: a dermatologist that does not do biopsies. Such an inconvenience and expense for the patient for something that can be done so simply.

The evening clinic was light and only chronic ulcer patients showed. The oldest of the two Zinacantan women did not show. Yesterday she looked ill and the new cough she developed did not sound good. I hope she's in the hospital.

Ana, who is interviewed in El Andalon, is one of Don Sergio's god children (one of many). Occasionally she will come to help Don Sergio and try to get supplies for him. She came by tonight and I was so happy to see her. Ana stayed and visited with us as long as she could but had to go home.

Two guests from Bela's and a few other people from a local language school showed up at 530 for a tour. Sergio was ready to get on with his tour as he had another large French group coming at 630pm. The owner of the language school La Casa en el Arbol is a young woman named Nadia from Italy that I met her 3 years ago. Nadia was the one that directed me to Don Sergio. I was only able to connect with her briefly a year ago but today I had a chance to catch up with her.

My camera flash quit working. Nadia, me and Ana under dim lighting in el museo.

Nadia explained to me how she's been here for 7 years and she still has so much to learn about the people, cultures, history and life in this area. She still travels back to Europe but when she returns to San Cris it feels home. There is something magical about this place: walking the streets, seeing the different ethic groups of Mayan people, the food is fresh, the aesthetics of the churches, the plants, and the surrounding mountains. Her appreciation for Sergio museo was obvious, Nadia quietly looked around and said there are many signs of the history and people from this area.

It was late by the time the French group left and there was a group of young volunteers with a local NGO that had joined the group for a tour. They hung around for a bit and I could tell Don Sergio was ready to lock the place up. Don Sergio and I said our good-byes and as usual he thanked me and Bruce Lee (mi esposo en Tucson) for everything. My heart was heavy in the morning as we started our day and I was not ready to leave him with the daily heavy load of patients. By the evening I knew it was time to leave, get home and plan the next trip.

More photos:
My sister request simple leather purses. I found this one for her...but on second thought I'll keep it. Hecho en Chiapasa, Mexico!

Perros casajeros.....these are sweet playful dogs.
Local fruit... the oranges may have been imported from the coast (not too far).

Kathleen with severe burn patient. She was so grateful for Kathleen's PT work with her, she wants a copy of this photo to put on her wall at home. She hugged us both and gave us many blessings.
You can smell the sweet cantalope as you walk by.

2011-11-07T19:36:00.001-08:00

7th de noviembre 2011

Scott and Linda (farmers from Dinuba, CA) left Bela's today but plan to return in six days for a week. They came to see Don Sergio's work and were very generous in their support. This is their first real vacation from their business Peacock Family Farms in five years.

Sunday – a day of rest – so I spent the it reading, packing and getting ready to leave on Wednesday. I did go to the market to buy purses for my sister in Colorado and a few things for friends. The day flew by.

I walked around in my old neighborhood (area I used to stay before discovering Bela's) and saw the little markets that used to be in carts on the street.

A nice taco dinner at Emiliano's Mustache: a local family restaurant with great tacos!

Monday, today, Sergio and I took the young man with the exposed leg (tibia) to have an x-ray to better evaluate what can be done. As suspected there are significant changes that may be ominous for this poor guy. We will take him to an orthopedic physician tomorrow and see what can be done if anything. One fear I have is eventually a segment of his bone will deteriorate if not treated properly.

Good x-ray equipment and competent technicians. No radiologist, the physicians read their own x-rays... just like the old days.

The usual bandage changes for the morning then home to for Manuela's lunch. She cooked the beans that were given to us by a patient's son and homemade pico de gallo, quesadillas and natural papaya drink. We were all ready for a nap afterwards.

Agua del dia: papaya, sopa: red beans.

The afternoon patient load was heavy, I walk in and without a hello and start seeing patients until all are taken care of. Sergio was so busy, I really don't know how he does it. We have to decrease the patient load by half and if we weren't here he would still be seeing patients beyond 7:00 or 8pm.

The same list of sad cases:

A 58-year-old Zinacantan woman looks terrible, her right lung sounds congested, her blood sugar is still in the 450+ range (she needs insulin), she has a low-grade fever and is coughing. I urge the family to take her to the hospital and Sergio reiterates my suggestion. "Okay," the family says, "We'll bring her back tomorrow." Most of these Mayan folks really fear the hospitals (it's where you go to die, partially because they don't go there until they're dying) and/or have so much faith and hope that Sergio can save them. If they don't go the outcome does not look good.

The other Zinancantecan woman with the worse foot of the two, actually continues to look and feel better (definitely more chatty). We will see what happens here. My guess is still the hospital on IV antibiotics and probable amputation may be the best. But it is unlikely they will opt for that.

The man with the large lower tibia ulcer in which you can see his muscle move when he flexes his foot, he seems to be doing better after I debrided the ulcer base a few days ago.

The 26-year-old woman with the severe left hand burn (all five fingers are gone) came in and Kathleen spent a good amount of time with her doing some PT exercises. Her right arm and hand have significant contractures.

The new patient from Teopisca was brought in by his daughter. This patient's right great toe is missing the joint that connects his toe to his foot. I will spare the details.

Patients come in for anything. I had two elderly (older than 70 here is considered elderly) patients that complained of hearing loss. One was 82 the other was 76, I checked for for wax impaction and other obvious causes that may contribute to hearing loss but I had to chalk these up to old age (and noise pollution)... just as their doctor here told them, I guess hearing aids are not as common here as they are in the US. Nothing I could do.

There was a young boy who has to breath through his mouth when he sleeps because the mucus membranes in his nose are so swollen it leave his little room for air passage. The patient did see and ENT and was prescribed medication that would cost his family 3000 pesos (230USD) every month. They can't afford it! I tell them to ask for generic but I'm not sure they can afford that either.

So the day ends and I feel depressed walking home. A wave of sadness over took me in thinking about all these well-meaning people with chronic and limb threatening maladies. I'm here to help but it only seems like a drop in the bucket. How can Sergio do this six days a week at the age of 70? I felt sad knowing that we are leaving on Wednesday and he will be overwhelmed as he has to see everyone.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer.

Another Busy Day

2011-11-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

5th de noviembre
Santo Domingo Church near Bela's.

Don Sergio received a call from a young woman whose two-year-old child was burned and was admitted to Hospital de Madres and wanted to know if there was anything he could do. He told them to call him when they bring the baby home, depending on the severity he will either go to their house or they can bring the child to his museo.

I was nearby the hospital today so I went to see the baby to assess the severity. This appears to be a hot water burn to the left face, ear, neck, upper chest, upper back and partial right arm that occurred three days ago. She was well bandage but with dry gauze and so far the burn looks to be mostly epidermal (1st degree) and possibly superficial partial (2nd degree) burn in some places. With burns several days have to pass to see the full extent of the injury. The parents are worried about the cost of care as they have a bill running at this private hospital. "How much does Don Sergio charge?" they asked. The relief on their faces was obvious when I said, "He does not charge". They are obviously under extreme stress. In my broken Spanish, I explained she will receive good care, call him when they get the child home, which should be in a couple of days.

Our afternoon ended early and the group at Bela's wanted to take her to lunch. She chose a Lebanese restaurant which was very good. San Cristóbal is probably the most unique colonial city in Mexico as it attracts different cultures. It has the best Italian restaurants, Argentinian restaurants, French bakeries all operated by their respective nationalities. This is a great town to visit for many reasons, the food and music are just a couple.

Could not resist this photo, bicycles are not used for recreation but for transportation. These items are kept up as long as they are useful. Conservation is a necessity.

Our evening clinic was packed... it doesn't matter that its Saturday night the patients still come. The cases are as follows:

41-year-old woman with chronic arthritic problems and pelvic pain, I remember her from two years ago. She has hypothyroidism and it is not clear if she takes her medication regularly. All I can do is offer Tylenol and recommend she see her doctor.
52-year-old man with a large mass growing from his backside extending into his scrotum. Clinically this mass appears to be a cancer. He had it removed four years ago but it has recurred. At the Hospital de las Culturas it was recommend that he see a doctor in Tuxtla but he does not have the funds to get transportation there. If the patient will schedule his appoint, I will gladly pay the transportation cost, he will let me know on Monday.
24-year-old woman with wide spread rash on her face, arms and neck (body is spared) that has persisted for two years... a classic case of contact dermatitis; however it appears to be secondarily infected. Seven months ago she was given Celestone injection which cleared the rash but it recurred (probable re-exposure to allergen), it was recommend she get another injection but she went to another doctor and he told her the injections were bad for her. This is not true, two to four injections per year is fine but one may do the trick if the allergen is avoided. She had an RX with a high potency corticosteroid cream, so I recommend she at least go buy that. We see this often: patients go to multiple people, get different advice then they don't know what to do... we are just another stop.
55-year-old diabetic man with a perforated hole at the base of his right great toe. Sergio examined the toe and it appeared to be detached from joint and was just hanging on by the soft tissue. The patient claimed he worked in agriculture and stepped on something months ago.

Of course, since wound care takes multiple visits we saw the usual suspects in addition to the above: the two Zinacantan woman who are miraculously getting better (if Sergio saves their feet, it will be a miracle), the young man with osteomyelitis, another man with a large ulcer in his left tibia, a wheelchair bound man with two ulcers on his right foot (his left leg was amputated seven months ago due to a foot ulcer secondary to diabetis)... the list goes on.

As we were closing shop, a lady shows up and wants an antibiotic from Sergio for her sister's baby whose been throwing up for two days. The baby is eating and drinking and has thrown up twice each day, no fever, no projectile vomiting, no diarrhea, per this lady, the baby is active and does not look sick and is not vomiting after every meal. I informed her antibiotics may not help, take the baby to a doctor tomorrow if she's not better. As we were walking out a young couple comes by to ask Sergio if he can help their 70-year-old father who was diagnosed with kidney stone. The people here do think he's a miracle worker. He told them to try a benign remedy and take him to his doctor.

Many family members come in with the patients, this is the Mexican and Mayan culture. Sons bring mothers in, the grandchildren come with them, sisters, bother- and sister-in-laws... the museo/clinic is packed with people. One patient's son brought us a bunch of short yellow bananas and a kilo of red beans. He proudly told me this food is todo organico all grown by him. I happily accepted this gift and thought, "These people don't have money, they are grateful for your services and they bring one of the best gifts of all: organic healthy food: and I wonder he knew he was contributing to my good health... the circle of life.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer.

The Top Ten Things To Do in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

2011-11-05T13:15:00.001-07:00

This post will stray from working with Don Sergio. I've been in San Cristóbal enough now that I want to inform anyone interested on the best things to do when here.

Visit Sergio Castro's Costume Museum... of course I am biased. This is a local humanitarian (see this blog) who gives tours every evening at 5:00 or 6:00pm at his museo in the center of town – Calle Guadalupe Victoria #38. His tour orients and educates his visitors about the different ethnic groups in Chiapas and displays his private collection of trajes (regional dress) from these groups. Go to Yok Chij, or see the side panel on this site to find out how to make a tour reservation.
Stay at Bela's Bed and Breakfast. This is the number one rated B & B on Trip Advisor. She has a lovely centrally-located small B & B that serves a healthy breakfast and regional-type comida (lunch upon request).
Visit San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan – there is a daily tour from the cross in the plaza in front of the cathedral at 9:30 am. You need merely show up and you will be found by very knowledgeable tour guide Cesár, who will take you to both villages and return you around 2:00 pm.
Visit Amantenango de Valle and shop for gifts of hand-made and hand-painted pottery. The clay and quartz used for making the pottery is local. On your way back stop to eat in Teopisca at the zocalo in the Restaurante Central and buy their special tostadas de manteca.
Visit the Museo de Medicine Maya – the Maya Medicine Museum on the north end of town.
Visit el Cañon de Sumidero in Chiapa de Corzo.
Visit the Nemi Zapata store that is a cooperative and supports the autonomous communities on Real de Guadalupe pedestrian street.
Visit Lleñateros cooperative workshop where they make gorgeous paper and books from recycled and homemade paper – they take you on a tour of their facility.
Visit Jardines de Orquídeas Moxviquil on the north end of town.
Visit Huitepec Ecological Reserve for climbing, walking and birdwatching.

Work and Pleasure

2011-11-04T22:51:00.000-07:00

4th de noviembre

Today was a special. I mentioned to Sergio yesterday that I wanted a morning off to go on a tour and he said he would take us on a tour. The eight-year-old boy who was healing from 35% body surface area burn lives in Amantenago de Valle which is well known for its hand-made and hand-painted pottery.

Our taxi driver Jose Luis was so friendly and attentive. He had to fill up with gas, add some oil and change a spark plug on the way to Amantenango de Valle.

This was a privilege and I was glad that we were mixing work with pleasure: this worked out well for everyone. We hired a cheerful taxi driver we'd met several days before and that Kathleen had used him when she went to Zinacantan. We drove to Amatenango and waited at the patient’s relatives home until he arrived. As we waited, a woman was making pottery. We watched and asked questions and I tried to do what she did but I quit before I created more work for her as she would have to correct my mistakes. She was happy, chatty and pleasant as she asked Don Sergio about us. Sergio says the people in Amantenago are very happy and hard workers.

While we waited Don Sergio educated us on the various fruit trees growing int the family's yard. He picked a lime and scrapped and sniffed the rind and said these are sweet limes. He peeled one for us and he was right, it was the sweetest lime I’ve ever tasted.

The sweet lime tree in Amantenango.

After the bandage change Kathleen worked with the boy with physical therapy to show how to start moving his wrist so the burn contractures won’t limit his mobility. This kid is so happy it was easy to make a game of it.

This fire block is outside the house which is better than inside.

Clay pots are used to cook items for long periods. These can weaken over time and break while being used.

On the way back we stopped at the road-side pottery market and I was overwhelmed with choices I just started picking what I liked… for friends of course. I overloaded one bolsa and needed another. Our next stop was in Teopisca and we bought tostados de manteca of various flavors: these are regional to Teopisca. Sergio bought a few things as well.

Two years ago when working with him he'd just started a school project in Villa Hermosa. The ground was being prepared for the foundation at that time. A year later the building was started and now he has a building for kindergarten and for primary school. Supporters from San Miguel Allende helped purchase the doors and windows and now the school needs desks and two black boards, and a teacher, which he said is ready once the desks are in. There are two rooms and they need 20 desks apiece and one blackboard per room.

The kindergarten building is cold because of a metal roof, so the teacher uses the new primary school building until it is in full use with elementary students.

New kindergarten built by Don Sergio.

The primary school was painted too soon and the rain washed it away. Don Sergio says he does the painting himself as its easy.

Leveling the ground for a court in front of the primary school.

Latrine used before.

New latrines after.

Today the sun is shining and it is warm outside, so we set up a little desk and chairs and had a picnic. This was the second time I’ve seen Sergio rest to eat; the first time was two years ago in this same spot but we sat on the ground.

Kathleen, Jose Luis (taxi driver) and Don Sergio.

Not too far up the road is a nature park and caves for tourists - foreign and national. He took us there and showed us how they used to get into the caves with ropes and said you used to be able to go very deep into the cave. Now it is a well paved concrete sidewalk that goes only 75 meters. It used to go about 500 meters, but some German tourists went past the allowed area where it wasn't lit and managed to get themselves lost, as their flashlight gave up. They had to be rescued, and since then that has been blocked off. Sergio recalled it had been 35 years since he’s been here when he and Elsa had two kids and they were small then. He recounted the entire day his family spent there and how the kids were so tired afterwards everyone slept well. The sad story of the park was a recent death of an eight-year-old boy who wanted a horse ride horse (the park offer rides): he and the horse were struck by lightning and both died quickly. Don Sergio expressed his sympathy for the father who had come up to San Cristóbal from Tuxtla and who had wanted to indulge his son in a fun day.

Outside las grutas (caves).

Old entrance 35 years ago, one used to have to use a rope to climb out.

Horse rides. Look how perfect his print is.

The evening museo/clinic was very busy again. The two Zinacantan women came and the one with the severe infection seemed in good spirits, although her wound does not look any better. The other woman appeared more ill, tired and now had developed a cough. Her blood sugar was still high, mild fever and I could here fluid in her right lung. Oh boy, please go to the hospital, I’m thinking. The family showed me the medicine she was taking (just restarted) but she really needs insulin. Somewhere along the line she was given cipro (antibiotic) but was not taking it, so I convinced them to restart that. They will be back at the same time mañana.

This was a good week for tourists – maybe Sergio’s right – the tourists will return. A group from Norway came and were shy to ask questions but they were very impressed with Don Sergio’s work. A woman, Violeta, I met yesterday via the blog, has supported Don Sergio’s water treatment projects over the years also came in with two friends from Wisconsin as well as another guest from Bela’s. I knew Sergio was tired when the day started but he gave two outstanding tours and our day ended after 7:pm.

Violeta is an artist and has known Don Sergio’s for many years. She is from Mexico City and has been coming to San Cristóbal since 1983. She gave me more insight on the significance of the many facets Don Sergio’s work. She, I and her guests went to a soup restaurant, El Cauldron near el centro and had sopa saboroso. While eating, a trio of musicians came in and played Cuban music: a drummer (small bongo drums), a flutist and a guitar player... it was a magical night to end this special day.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer.

Dia de los Muertos en Chiapas

2011-11-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

2 November 2011

Bela's garden is so lush, one morning I saw 4 different varieties of butterflies, 2 types of hummingbirds and various sizes of bees.

Because of the holiday and that we had few home bound patients we had a light load however, the evening clinic was very busy. The good news of the day is that Sergio had a tourist group of 25 ppl from Sweden come through. The guide seemed to know Sergio fairly well, he brought him a few handsome Mexican style (cowboy) shirts that Sergio was proud to receive.

One visitor was a nurse and she watched me change the wound dressing of the young man with the exposed bone (see previous postings). She was, as I was when I first saw the horrific injuries, very sympathetic to the man as she was aware of the gravity of his condition.

Sergio spent a lot of time with the group and they all left asking for his website. Kathleen and I handed out his cards and answered any questions we could. Afterwards Bela's guests came by: Scott and Linda (from Dinuba, CA) and Suzanna (Austin, TX). I thought Sergio was going to be exhausted giving another tour but he gave them a lot of time and attention. He enjoys the giving the tour and he is able to sustain his energy level.

Sergio's feral cats. He tells everyone, don't touch they bite.

A new found friend, also named Pat, came by and we all (except Don Sergio) went to Tierra Adentro for snacks and a glass of wine. It was a lovely time chatting with everyone and of course the conversation is always, 'what can we do to help'. All I can recommend is to financially support his work or if you can find the supplies he needs and send them directly (see Yok Chij website Ayudar). He's working on improving his clinic, he feels the amount of tourists he had before the financial crisis will come back. I'm not that optimistic, but hopeful.

Another way to help is to bring medical expertise in wound care to him and work with him. The longer one stays the better however, one MUST be open minded, non-judgmental, have acceptance and patience of beliefs and know you are not going to change things for the best right away. One must show dignity and respect and suppress your frustration....for us 'outsiders' it can be difficult...but that's the way it is.

So, the typical evening clinic started with atypical wounds and ended with friendship and support of the Humanitarian de Chiapas. (I will spare the verbal detail of our patients' wounds this evening.)

Posted by Patricia Ferrer.

Understanding Cultural Differences

2011-11-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

1 de novembre 2011

Party of the dead.

Today is Dia de los Santos Inocentes: it is day of the dead for the children that are now deceased. Tomorrow is Dia de los Muertos. Kathleen is taking it all in as there is much to see and I encourage her to do so as the Mexican culture is so lively and creative.

The museo clinic was busy tonight with the indigenous population. The Zinacantan woman with the horribly infected foot arrived on time with her family. Sergio carefully cleans and bandages the wound. I checked her blood sugar (she is not eating much because she feels so ill) and it was 380... pretty high. We gave her the antibiotics we had (ciprofloxicin) pending the culture which will not be ready until Friday. Again, I express my concern with Don Sergio about the severity of this case. He explains, but they do not want to go to the hospital.

Thirty minutes later a young man walks in and tells us his mother (60-something-year-old) has an infected foot and can Don Sergio see her. We see the patient, also from Zinacantan, and she has the same problem: a severely infected foot but not as bad as the other woman. However, this patient was in the hospital but the family took her out! I checked her blood sugar and it was 498, temperature was 103.7 and her blood pressure was 110/58. In my mind, I'm thinking, "Yikes!" she needs to be in the hospital. I explained to the family all the above and to really get better care she needs to be in the hospital. They said, "Okay, we'll be back tomorrow". Argh, right?!

Sergio knows this. He's been working with these people for more than 40 years and he know their response and behavior. He does not press them to follow instructions, he knows they'd rather die than go to the hospital or have an amputation.

El hombre finds the treasure. The hat is a dermatologists' dream, Arizonans take note!

Before volunteering outside of the US, I read a lot about the problems first world citizens have accepting other cultural beliefs when the risk of cure is minimal and lack of is severe. We cannot impose our beliefs no matter how right we think we are because, just as we must respect one's religious or political beliefs, we must show dignity to any and all we care for no matter where they come from. They are more likely to listen to and respect you. This is what Don Sergio does so well. He accepts they don't want to go to the hospital, even if he knows they will die if they don't. He encourages them to go, but when they won't he treats them with dignity and respect: rich, poor, indigenia, Mexican, no importe. I hope this attitude comes to me in time.

In sum, if you do not show human dignity your message and effort are worthless....they may be worthless anyway but at least your patient dies with dignity.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer.

Monday October 31, 2011

2011-10-31T19:49:00.001-07:00

31 de octubre

An ordinary day seeing the 90-year-old woman with the left calf burn, the big man with a healing injury to his left leg and the chronic ulcer patient that refuses compression even though it would help heal the ulcer mas rapido.

The evening clinic was packed and I had to leave to find a laboratory that would give me a culture media to culture the Zinacantan woman's foot that looks (and smells) like there is a deep possibly necrotic infectious process. I'm not sure culturing it would help as I think the patient needs to go to the hospital. Sergio has cleaned her wound so well that the patient actually looks better. It would be miraculous if he succeeded in saving her foot. Many of the indigenous are resistant to go to the hospital: they would rather die than go. It is a hard observation to swallow but Sergio knows them well and accepts it and does the ABSOLUTE best he can to help. Hence, we will start her on oral antibiotics pending the culture..we'll see.

I was assured by the lab technicians this is what I needed for wound culture and sensitivity... 200pesos ($15USD).

Upon returning a couple of other sad cases were waiting. There is a young man in his early 20s that had an on-the-job injury to his left leg fracturing it severely over a year ago. It was surgically repaired but he continues to have an open wound – with the tibia (bone) exposed. Kieu and I saw him six months ago (see previous blog post). The granulation tissue around his wound had healed but has left a 1.5 x 2.0 inch of exposed bone. Before returning to San Cristóbal I showed this case to wound care specialists Drs. Bolhack and Quick in Tucson and they both agreed the patient has osteomyelitis. This is so hard to treat: the bone is infected, it needs to be debrided and probably grafted. The patient may have to be on antibiotics for a very, very long time. Ay, what is one to do? I mentioned my concerns to Don Sergio and he will find an x-ray facility he trusts and send the patient. In the long run this does not look good.

The second sad case I saw briefly as I was with another patient. This was a Chamulan woman who is missing her fingers on her left hand and has a severely burned right arm with some finger contraction on her right hand. The burn is almost healed as there is only one area that has exposed granulation tissue on the right forearm. In the US: skin grafting, surgery to correct the contractures, physical and occupational therapy. Here, she's lucky to have Don Sergio.

It is hard for an American woman to grasp just how second class women here are treated – even third class. This is a perfect example of how women are trained early on to do the most of the hauling/work.

There are so many sad cases here in Chiapas and the trust people have in Don Sergio is impressive. Many have chronic conditions that he can't possibly treat but because of his reputation with burns and wounds they think he can do anything. He's savvy and knows when to refer or if conditions are out of his realm of knowledge. I think he'd rather stick with burns and wounds, this is what he's come to know best. Habitantes de San Cristobal are lucky to have him. We were done by 6:30 pm so we headed home.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer.

Sabado: Day of Rest

2011-10-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

Sabado 30 de octubre 2011

With the clocks turned back all in Casa de Bela were happy with an extra hour to sleep in. Kathleen and Susannah (curly blonde in dinner photo) went to the well known pottery community of Amantenango de Valle and Teopisca. They returned several hours later with a few cute straw-woven baskets for the museo clinic and a few painted pottery souvenirs.

Bela and I stayed at home and read and relaxed. Around noon, Bela took me to the market and plastic stores so I could buy better containers for Sergio's medical supplies. In the US we take it for granted that plastic items are so cheap. Here, imports are expensive and locally grown healthy food is cheap.

This is what 375 pesos will buy (~$30USDs)....I think it would have been less than $15 USD at Walmart.

Bela wanted to do some shopping for her Dia de los Muertos alter so we split up after she oriented me with the four different plastic stores. Walking through the market gave me the urge to shop but I was on a mission as was determined not to stray.

Bela preparing her alter.

The weather in San Cristobal at this time is perfect: crispy cool at night and in the morning and solar warm during the day. Bela's garden attracts many butterflies, bees, and large hummingbirds.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer.

Saturday October 29, 2011

2011-10-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

October 29, 2011

It rained last night and streets were slightly slick so we tried to flag a taxi as we were running late to the museo. The taxis were all ocupados so I walked on while Kathleen was able to finally flag one down... we arrived at the same time.

Two female patients (non indigenous) were waiting at the museo when we arrived. One had a back problem from falling down the stairs four years ago and still had neck and back pain. It did not help that she was wearing four-inch stiletto boots on a regular basis, which we informed was contributing to the chronicity of her problem. Kathleen worked on her while I organized the new clinic room. We still have to buy small boxes to properly organize and store the supplies.

This field trip our first stop was on the fringe of town. Everything is relative and San Cristóbal is no different. We found our patient who lives in a shack with her son who, Don Sergio explained, is mentally challenged. The patient, a 90-year-old woman, fell asleep by the fire and her wool skirt caught fire and she burned 40% of her calf – deep 2nd degree. She did not bother to tell anyone of her injury until one month later. She does not speak Spanish and Don Sergio spoke to her in Tzotzil.

The patient's home shown in this photos is typical of the poor and why they are so many burns. The proximity of fire to indoor activity is because many people can not afford proper or safe housing. The tarp is the roof, the dirt is the floor.

An altar made for the Day of the Dead on November 2, when people remember and celebrate with their departed. The 1st of November is Day of the Innocents - for the departed children.

We made a few more house calls and walked back to Bela's. A hotel along our route had a beautiful Dia de los Muertos display (above).

The evening clinic had a moderate amount of patients even though it started drizzling. Usually the patient flow is decreased with any precipitation due to the side walks becoming slippery. The baby from one of the poorer parts of San Cristóval was brought in by her mother. I found it interesting that there was one place left to sit, so the father of the child took the seat and let the mother holding the baby stand. Women are treated differently here.

Once the clinic cleared out a three people came in for a tour and Kathleen was able to be part of the group. He then showed them other rooms displaying children's trajes (outfits). I did not know he had these. He's change quite a bit in the museo and has organized his collection.

Kathleen walked over to Emilio's Mustache with the three visitors while I went back to Bela's to change clothes. Bela and I, Susannah and Jim (fellow Texans and Bela's guests) walked to the restaurant and found Kathleen with her fast-made friends. We had some of the best tacos in town with those freshly made tiny tasty tortillas. ¡Provecho!

Sergio is grateful to all people that help support his work. He wanted me to be sure to thank the teenagers from Glenbrook HS and their teacher, Ms. Reyes, for their fund raising and donation earlier this year. We will find frames for these photos and will proudly display them in his museo.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer.

Back to Work with Don Sergio

2011-10-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

October 28, 2011

Our morning started off waiting for Don Sergio at his museo with a patient with his father and grandfather from Amantanango de Valle. They drove an hour for the son, Maurice, to have his bandage changed.

Sergio arrived on time and entered the museo to do the bandage change. This eight-year-old child's injury occurred when the family was burning trash and he was near the fire. Four months ago the child was standing by the fire and a wind whipped up and burned his left arm, left abdomen and chest. These were superficial and deep 2nd degree burns that are now well healed but will leave him with permanent burn scars. There is one area on his left abdomen that is a bit slower than the rest probably due to the depth of the burn and the natural mobility of the stomach expanding and contracting. Originally the patient went to the hospital in Teopisca and stayed for two days with no proper bandage change. A female doctor told the parents to take the child to Don Sergio. Sergio said the burns were cleaned but very dry. After four months of care the child is doing well.

Thanks to Maricopa Burn Center and Pongratz Prosthetics, the donation of the burn garments are put to good use for Don Sergio's burn patients.

Afterwards Sergio showed me the room he made (he says for me) but obviously its for the patients. Previously this room stored extra artifacts and supplies. He cleaned it out, put a partitioned wall, painted the walls and brought in a work table, shelf and a bench: a model clinic room. He feels this will be better for the patients who prefer others not see their injuries.

The new clinic room Don Sergio made. Thank you all for your donations!

After unpacking and sorting we were off to a poor part of San Cristóbal to see a eight-month-old baby that had been burned with boiling coffee on her right arm, abdomen and right leg 12 days ago. These appear to be 1st degree burns as the child's skin is closed and just fresh pink now.

The stairs we had to climb to get to her home.

The way up included rock climbing.

Our next patient was a lady I had seen six months ago while here with Kieu. She had (and still does) profound lower leg ulcers that are healing slowly. She is quite resistant to compression and Sergio is challenged by this, but he continues to provide care as there is improvement. Kathleen showed her some lymphatic drainage techniques the patient can do and we hope this will help.

Our last patient of the morning was a very large man with a healing full thickness injury to the left lower leg. This was quick bandage change but it may take another month for his wound to close.

"Libre," as Don Sergio would say. This means we are free until 4:pm: that's when we have to be at the museo. We returned to Bela's for Manuela's comida especial, mole colorado, sopa de pan (bread soup) and a unique tasty desert - zapote negro (black zapote fruit).

The afternoon started at 4:00pm and Don Sergio's museo was full with patients. Kathleen (who is physical therapist) worked on a 17-year-old woman who reports her left leg started twisting inward since she was four years old. She had gone to a curandero (healer) who used hot herbs on her knee and leg and left her with significant scarring. She had no concern about the scarring but wanted to know what she could do about her knee and leg. Unfortunately, it seems her leg has been in this shape for so long that training her to do PT muscle exercises may not yield the results she is looking for. She could benefit from a brace that would give her support in addition to engaging muscles that need to be strengthened. This is a challenging case.

Sergio and I saw the burn and wound patients. The saddest case I'd seen in a while... well, since this morning, was a 45-year-old Zinacantan woman with her right foot that appears to be gangrenous. She has uncontrolled diabetes and appeared ill. When I removed her bandage, the smell was so bad the waiting patients scattered widely as if someone lit a fire cracker. We should have taken her in the new room but Kathleen was using it for another patient. Her foot was so swollen, infected, malodorous and weeping that I could not see how we'd be able to help. I whispered to Don Sergio, this patient needs to be admitted in the hospital, get IV antibiotics and get ready for an amputation. He said she's been told and she won't go, she's been there and they recommended amputation so Don Sergio as her last resort. He will try to convince her again. The challenges here are mind-boggling. This is an example of the faith people have in Don Sergio. He knows when to send them to the hospital but the continue to come to him.
Sergio's museo clinic was a full house. (Patients faces are blotted out for privacy reasons.)

We had various other minor wounds (in comparison to the Zinacantan woman) to see and our last patient was a young man who had a tattoo on his right arm. He worked for a local company and they told him he could not have tattoos. Tattoos are looked down upon here in Mexico as many people perceive you are part of a gang (it is difficult to get a job with tattoos). This 20-something-year-old male applied a gel that would help him get rid of his tattoo. The tattoos are gone and now thickened unsightly scars. The gel he used probably caused deep partial thickness wound and possibly full thickness. He's lucky he healed this well.

At 7:00pm the museo was quiet, patients were gone and there were no tourists. Our first day of work was very busy and I was glad to see Don Sergio in good spirits and well rested. His energy level is impressive... for a 70-year-old. Tomorrow we start at 9:15am.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer.

Arrive in San Cristobal

2011-10-27T18:17:00.001-07:00

October 26th and 27th, 2011

Wednesday was an ‘in-transit’ day that was very long: a taxi to the SMA bus stop, a one-hour bus ride to Queretaro, then a three-hour bus ride to Mexico City airport, a one-hour 15-minute plane ride to Tuxtla Gutierrez, then a one-hour taxi ride to San Cristobal (8:30am-8:00pm). We arrived at Bela’s Bed and Breakfast around 8:00pm pooped. We made it to San Cristóbal without problems and with all the supplies.

Bela’s place is as charming as it was when I walked in over a year ago, like a home away from home. Today, Thursday, is a day of rest for me and site-seeing for Kathleen. Our work day begins in la mañana por la mañana (tomorrow morning) when we will meet Don Sergio at his museum and start seeing his patients.

No photos today, there is a problem with uploading, will add tomorrow.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer

Sergio and Elsa in San Miguel de Allende

2011-10-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

Tuesday October 25, 2011

Animated Don Sergio chatting with Ivan.

We all made it to San Miguel de Allende. Kathleen and I met Mary and Ivan at their home where they were hosting Don Sergio and Elsa. After visiting for a couple of hours we met Consuelo, John, Betsy, Jane and the Vice President of Patronato Por Ninos at their clinic. This organization was started 40 years ago by one woman and has become a primary care facility that works with the Mexican government providing care for children. If they cannot provide the care the patients need (specialty services) they find a way by outsourcing care for their patients. The work involved to get this organization where it is today has been tremendous and the children of the SMA area benefit.

A visit to Patronato Por Ninos.

Afterwards we went to El Mirador: a vista in San Miguel. We ran into Consuelo’s parents who were on a tour and just happened to stop at that same place. In two taxis we went to back to Mary’s for comida (lunch). This was a time we all had a chance to visit with Sergio and Elsa and see how we can continue to help support his humanitarian work.

The group at El Mirador. Left to right: Consuelo (director El Andalon), Betsy (My Mexico Tours), Don Sergio, Elsa, me, Jane, Consuelo's mother, Consuelo's father, Kathleen.

After comida, tres leches cake for Don Sergio and Elsa.

The showing of El Andalon started at 7:15pm. Afterward Consuelo, John, Betsy and I went up on stage for questions and answers while Mary and Ivan added information about Don Sergio and the people he serves. Many wanted to know, “Who is going to continue his work after he’s gone?”, “Who helps him with the schools?”, “Why doesn’t the government help these villages with the schools?”, “Why are there not medical organizations from the US coming to help?” We've all had these questions and there are no easy answers. This maverick humanitarian has the trust of the local people of San Cristóbal because he's answered the call when they need help.

The most important question: “How can we help?”. This is a typical response after seeing the film. Our answers were: buy the DVD (proceeds go to Don Sergio), show it to your friends, donate, and join our team in bringing awareness about his work. (Please contact me here if you are interested in helping Don Sergio in any capacity.)

Finally, Consuelo and John had the pleasure of introducing Don Sergio and Elsa. The audience stood in awe, many were to tell me later, “I felt like I was in the presence of a saint”. They were, and so were we. Sergio, in his humble manner, thanked us, Elsa, and everyone for coming and their support and invited all to San Cristóbal. He said his gift is to help people and his humanitarian work is why he is here on this earth.

We stood in the foyer of the theater answering questions as Mary, Ivan and Don Sergio quietly went home. The theater employees finally had to brush us out the door. We ended up across the street to sit and chat with each other and visited until 11:pm and then slowly walked to our respective hospedajes (lodgings).

Tomorrow Kathleen and I bus it to Mexico City to catch our flight to Tuxtla. Sergio and Elsa will stay in San Miguel and there will be a display at the library of Don Sergio’s textile collection where he will be present and answer any questions.

Today felt like two days in one it was so busy and productive. Mary and Ivan did an incredible job organizing the event and our host Louise made our stay very comfortable. After being here two days I can see why people live here: the climate is cool in the evening and warm during the day, the plants lush, the activities many, the aesthetics of the city impeccable.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer

Monday October 24, 2011 – San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato Part II

2011-10-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

In Transit to San Cristóbal

Part II

Up at 3:30 am and Bruce got us to the AZ Shuttle stop to catch the 4:30am shuttle to Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. Our flight arrived in Guadalajara on time at 1:50pm. This is where my nervousness kicked in. We have all these medical supplies and I’m always concerned the bags will be searched and confiscated. I had documentation for our legitimate charity support, that these donated items are expected by Don Sergio... all in Spanish... but I'm never sure if it will be enough. When one is carrying many items of the same thing, customs might think you are bringing things to sell under the table. I tried to relax by telling jokes to Kathleen.

The Guadalajara customs is a bit more sophisticated than the tiny Tuxtla Gutierrez airport that I'm used to. They x-rayed all our bags and of course started asking questions like, “What’s in your bags?” I explained our purpose and showed my documentation. Most of the customs people were women and seemed interested in our reason for coming to Mexico. One mature customs official, a man, came over and started asking questions. I showed him my documents and he was the only one that read them. As he looked through our bags a young fellow walked up and barely looked through our papers and started telling me I should not bring these items to Mexico without the consulate's permission (I was later to decipher). He was stern and I thought he was going to confiscate it all. Fortunately, the mature man intervened and brushed off the youngster. Once they went through two of our four bags they let us pass... but not before we pressed the red light/green light button.

In any Mexico customs you have to press a button and a light that's like a street light comes on. If it is green, that means pasa le, go ahead through and you won’t have your bags searched. If it is red, that means stop and all your bags are going to be searched.

I pressed… RED light. Kathleen pressed…RED light! The customs people laughed and went through all four bags and then our personals. I smiled and giggled… for some reason the whole thing was funny. Kathleen, la gringa, held the smoothest poker face you’d ever seen! The power of my mother’s prayers is astounding, no?! Getting through customs was my biggest concern.

Baggage tightly packed and through customs!

Our baggage was collected by a maletero and got us to a taxi and off we go to Central Camionero (main bus station) to catch an ETN bus to San Miguel de Allende. We knew there was a slim chance we’d catch the last bus going to SMA but we had good mojo with us today and we bought the last two seats and the bus was leaving in 15 minutes!

It was a long bus ride and Kathleen and I had to take separate seats; she was up front and I was in the back. Close to the end of our journey I chatted with a young lady from Poland who was visiting Mexico and on her way to the city of Guanajuato. She gave me a good history of Poland and told me that this was her first trip to Mexico. I told her about our trip, Don Sergio, Chiapas, and its beauty. It sounded like she's on a fairly small budget as she's staying in hostels. To my surprise as she gathered her things to get off in Guanajuato she gave me 100 pesos to donate to Sergio. I don't know why but I'm always amazed at the generosity people show spontaneously.

This is not your Greyhound bus... comfy luxurious bus! Five hours to San Miguel.

We arrived in San Miguel safely by 8:30pm. A nine-year-old malatero gathered our bags and took us to the taxi row. The next driver up saw our bags and had a face of "You're kidding... all those bags". I asked if he could take us to our hosts' house and without enthusiasm, "Si quepan," (if the bags will fit). I saw the other taxis and all were tiny cars. We made the bags fit and I had to half sit on Kathleen's lap. We arrived at Louise's house (our kind host) and she had a turkey salad waiting for us. We chatted with her and her friend Leslie and felt right at home. She has a charity, Casita Linda, that she is devoted to that is similar to Habitat for Humanity... again, there are many kind people in the world helping others.

The garden at our host's house in San Miguel de Allende. When I see homes like this I wonder, why we don't live in Mexico.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer

Monday October 24, 2011 – San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

2011-10-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

In Transit to San Cristóbal

Part I

After several months of planning this sixth trip to San Cristóbal – el viaje a San Cristóbal – and we are finally on our way. This last week of packing the medical supplies has been more challenging than ever. Comrade, Kathleen McLoughlin, a physical therapist and fellow Clinica Amistad volunteer, is accompanying me this trip. We have trimmed our each of four unsightly suitcases to just under 50 pounds… a feather will tip the scale into the higher checked baggage range.

Ninety six tubes of triple antibiotic donated by my Mom!

Supplies before packing.

First Stop: San Miguel de Allende

This trip to Chiapas has a side stop in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato. Avid Sergio Castro supporters Mary Murrell and her husband Ivan have put together a fund raising event to present Sergio’s humanitarian work to the residents of San Miguel.

The producer and director of the film, El Andalon, Consuelo Alba and John Speyer will be in attendance as will be Betsy McNair, owner of from My Mexico Tours and her friend Jane. And, to my extreme surprise, Don Sergio and his wife Elsa will be there! I once asked Sergio if he would be interested in coming to the US and he flat out said he cannot leave San Cristóbal. This has to be Don Sergio’s first vacation in decades, if ever.

The documentary about Don Sergio, El Andalon, will be showing at the Angela Peralta Theater in SMA October 25^th, at 7pm. Tickets are $150 pesos (~10.30USD). On Wednesday, October 26^th, Mary has arranged a reception exhibiting some unique textiles from his museum. This will be in Sala Quetzal at 7:15 pm and tickets are at the Biblioteca box office for $250 pesos. Profits go to Yok Chij, A. C. which supports Don Sergio's work. Don Sergio will be in attendance for both.

Tucson Friends

Jim and Carol from Tucson.

Since my last trip in May I’ve had the pleasure of meeting two wonderful people: Carol and Jim who love everything about Mexico. They have kindly shared their support for Don Sergio after seeing El Andalon, which was shown to them by their friends Janet and Barbara. Thanks to Betsy McNair, who corresponded with Janet, I sent them a copy of El Andalon and a circle of kindness has been created. Carol and Jim live close to us and Carol, a retired Spanish teacher, has given her time generously with Spanish lessons for me. I am spoiled with one-on-one classes in her Mexican style home. Thank you Janet, Barbara, Carol, Jim and please tell your neighbors thank you por el apoyo también (for the support).

Janet and her sister Barbara.

Our neighbors, Sue and Jerome always make it a point to come by and give a donation for Sergio days before my departure. !Muchisimas gracias!

Our neighbors: The Kings!

Thank you World Care

Again, the success of this trip is in great part due to World Care, a non-profit organization that is basically a recycling center of much needed goods (medical, educational) for third world countries. The medical supplies we are taking have been carefully collected over the last six months. Not everything we need is available at one time so multiple trips have to be made. Lisa Hopper’s staff (referred to as the "Pats" – there being five Pats there, Bernadette, and the gang) have been incredibly helpful in putting aside items they know only we would need and holding them for me. Their supplies and support are invaluable for Sergio and his patients. They also provide supplies for Clinica Amistad. If you live in Tucson and want to donate locally, check out World Care!

Thank you Maricopa Burn Center

This summer and fall I was able to see first world burn care given at its highest standards. I spent two days at The Maricopa Burn Center in Phoenix with the help of their outreach educational nurse, RN Suzanne. Their staff is very supportive in helping to educate providers that go abroad and that are abroad. This is Arizona’s only verified burn center and the quality of care they provide is outstanding. Depending on the extent of burn injuries, when these patients are all admitted a long-term relationship is established. All aspects of burn care are addressed: pain control, proper bandage changing, fluid control, social work, diet, physical therapy, occupational therapy, immediate and post burn surgeries (grafting, burn scar corrections, etc). This has put a light on the limitations Don Sergio faces daily due to lack of resources, however he provides the basics which is better than nothing.

Thank you St. Mary’s Wound Care Center and NW Medical Wound Care Center

There are two wound care centers in Tucson and both offer top-notch care for chronic wounds – the same type of wounds Sergio encounters daily (diabetic ulcers, venous stasis ulcer, injuries etc). Dr. Quick at St. Mary’s and Dr. Bolhack at NW Medical shared their knowledge and the importance of basic healing techniques of chronic and recalcitrant wounds regardless of pricey dressings. This training helped me to know better how to choose the items needed; hence I could order more items that will yield greater benefit to Sergio’s patients. Although in Chiapas we don’t have half of what we need, their shared skill is very helpful.

Gracias a mis padres (A thanks to my parents)

I always sense concern from my parents when traveling to Mexico. Both parents were born in the US and Spanish is their first language. They’ve heard all the unfortunate stories and problems in Mexico from their parents. As a young adult my father made a trip back to Mexico and experienced firsthand the truth of some of those stories. I wish they could see and experience the true beauty of Mexico and their people, in spite of the problems. Their concern is not without reason, but we are careful and safe, and their prayers and blessings are gratefully appreciated.

Summer Work

2011-08-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

August 17, 2011

Our May visit with Don Sergio was very productive as Kieu and I are able to expand the "needs assessment plan" for our future visits to better help those that Don Sergio cares for. Several of the patients had medical issues other than burns and wounds. There were children with fever, elderly with joint pain, skin rashes, and a myriad of female issues. Since we are female, the indigenous women are not shy to seek our help. Some of the problems we could address and treat, others we had to refer to the social medicine system. It seems overall we had about 125 patient visits per week (including the wound and burn care patients).

So, back in the US our focus continues to raise funding to keep Don Sergio going. Since returning in April El Andalon has been shown at several film festivals:

Chicago Latino Film Festival
Arizona International Film Festival - Won Best Short Documentary
Santa Cruz Film Festival - Won Best Short Documentary

As of this posting, El Andalon has been accepted to the United Nations Association Film Festival and the San Francisco Latino Film Festival. In addition, avid Sergio Castro supporter Mary Murrell, who lives in San Miguel de Allende (aka SMA), Guanajuato, Mexico, is organizing a screening of El Andalon on October 25th, in the historic Angela Peralta Theater. Don Sergio and his wife Elsa will be in attendance.

Meanwhile, Don Sergio and I want to give a big thank you to the Glenbrook South HS students for their fund raising drive that provided five and a half weeks of much needed medical supplies. Per their teacher, Veronica Reyes, the students saw El Andalon at the Chicago Latino Film Festival and told her, the film gives them "hope that there are those that do good in the world".

Every peso helps. San Cristóbal receives many tourists and a majority are from Europe. Unfortunately, with the global financial crisis, fewer and fewer tourists are visiting this enchanting colonial city and all that depend on tourism are hurting. Hence, your donations are very much appreciated!

Whenever donations are received via Paypal or directly to me, I send the funds and contact Don Sergio and explain to him where the donations come from. He always expresses to me his sincere gratitude to "todos mis amigos de los Estados Unidos". He is so grateful of everyone's support. Also, to the donors, please know ALL YOUR DONATIONS GO DIRECTLY TO DON SERGIO (minus Paypal fees, which run 3% from the US and 4% from outside).

My next trip is planned for the end of October and I will be accompanied by a Clinica Amistad (our free clinic in Tucson for the uninsured) comrade who has experience in wound and burn care as well as physical therapy experience for burn patients. She and I plan to take as much as we possibly can from World Care and other medical supply donors. We, too, will stop in San Miguel prior to going to San Cristóbal. My dear friend Bela, host of Bela's B and B, provides our lodging as she too does all she can to support Don Sergio's work (see Trip Advisor comments.)

A special thank you to Consuelo Alba and John Speyer for creating El Andalon and presenting Don Sergio's story to the film world. For more information please go to Veremos Productions.

Posted by Patricia Ferrer, PA-C in Tucson, AZ.

San Cristóbal - It's a Hard Life

2011-03-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

March 30, 2011

On my final two days our driver finally shows and we don't have to find and change taxis anymore. When I mention that we have a driver it's not like a limo, but someone who drives us around in whatever vehicle they have. This particular model comes with an extra-large stellated crack on the passenger side windshield with no backseat seat belts and missing a few hubs.

My backpack is kept in a side room at Sergio's museo and the light switch is a little faulty so Sergio decides to ditch the switch. He connects two hotwires to turn on the light.

As we were departing for the day, the mother with her young child from Teopisca came running to stop our car. She brought the child from Teopisca so we could change her bandages. It is quite a trek for her as she had to catch a collectivo (probably a public transportation Volkswagon van) and probably a taxi ride too which could be more costly.

After being here a while you get immune to seeing the military trucks loaded with soldiers and guns. I never know where they're going, what they're doing and why there are so many.

When I first saw a woman street sweeper I thought, "Surely men do this task as well". I made it a point to pay attention and the only employees I saw cleaning the streets or picking up the trash were women, although Bela assured me that men do it to - it is civil service and actually does pay a pension someday. I do like the broom though.

On our way to Nishnamtic we stopped at an abarrotes (grocery store) so Sergio could by candy for the two-year-old boy we're treating. I needed to empty my bladder and it was either this or the road-side option. At least there was an option as there is a beautiful roadside rest-stop between Tucson and Phoenix that is completely closed down.

Coming back from Nishnamtic, we stop and see the 14-year-old. His parents have yet to buy him crutches so he can get around better. They must not have the money so he uses a broom stick as support and hops on one leg for ambulation.

Returning to the museum we see a fresh blob of concrete with the label "Sapam" impressed on it. Sergio explains that the water company turned off the water. He said he's paid the bill but there seems to be a discrepancy and he's tired of arguing with them. They left the large rock they extracted in the sidewalk for someone (me) to trip over.

So, we use a bucket of water to wash our hands and dump water in the toilet to flush. Sergio rents the museum for 5,000 pesos per month. The rent a year ago was 3000 pesos per month: a hiked up price of 60%. It is hard to believe that one can do this knowing that Sergio give so much to the community, but it seems;.. it's just business.

The free range animals are always hungry and have their noses to the ground. It was nice to see this pair taking a rest in the shade.

Life is not hard for everyone in Mexico. Anyone with modest financial security can live a high-quality life in a nice colonial home, maid included. Not all indigenous are poor as they live off the land and food is available most the time (in the good times). They just don't have any money to buy things and they barter instead. In my opinion, it is when people don't have access to an adequate diet, an opportunity for good education, access to clean water and access to healthcare of all types and especially for injuries such as burns or accidents then that is when the poverty reveals itself.

Sergio relieves this stress by going to their homes and providing wound care for them or their loved ones. It is the donations from his museo and donations from those who support his work that allow Sergio to reduce the burden and bring relief and healing to lives of those in need.

If you are looking for a cause to support, Sergio Castro, the Maverick Humanitarian would be highly worthy cause. All funds go to Sergio Castro minus PayPal fees. Any amount is appreciated. Thank you.

San Cristóbal - Day Ten - The Day of Rest

2011-03-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

March 27, 2011

It was a day off for me but Sergio insisted on seeing four patients: the Sister at Hospital de Madres with a chronic venous ulcer, the three-year-old girl with the hand and leg burns, the 14-year-old with the left leg burn and the two-year-old from Nishnamtic.

I took the opportunity to rest and shop. While doing so I ran into a lady I had met a week ago so we sat and chatted for a couple of hours. It was a nice afternoon.

The is the new style of clothing in Zinacantan that Sergio had pointed out to me. This is not the best photo, but look – the base of the skirt is scalloped.

Back at Bela's I ate, checked the internet and am planning my departure for Wednesday.

San Cristóbal - Day Nine - The Day of Taxis and Pain

2011-03-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

March 26, 2011

Taxis. Another day without our driver, we take a taxi to another taxi stand to get a ride to Teopisca, then come back to San Cristóbal, get another taxi to the market to get another taxi to Nishnamtic (that's four taxis). The driver from the market initially said he would take us, then Sergio explained where we needed to go in Nishnamtic and so then he refused. I thought to myself, "Does he know he just declined driving a saint?". I had a bad feeling about him anyway. We hopped out and got another taxi who took us to the village... I trusted this guy.

A taxi driver's rear view mirror ornaments. Presumably a religious chicken lover.

Again the three-year-old girl, exhausted in pain from changing her bandages.

Pain. In the US, in the medical community, we are trained to provide the proper anesthetic/pain relief prior to inflicting undesirable pain for elective and necessary procedures. Bandage changes for burn wounds require pain medication and are frequently used in the US. Here it is not and I perceive that many people feel that you just have to be tough or brave it out for various reasons: 1. Pain meds are not readily available/lack of access, 2. If it were it may not be affordable, 3. The people here are used to enduring pain, 4. The medical community has been influenced by the anti-drug campaigns from the US and are afraid of addiction, so don't properly treat pain.

When it comes to children suffering it is hard to watch a child cry in REAL pain. From the parents and Don Sergio I hear comments that the children just fear their bandages being changed and that's why they cry. They say, "Don't cry, don't cry". They've lived with putting up with discomfort and pain all their lives, why should it be different this time for this child of Mexico? In the US we know much more about the psychological consequences of enduring pain and we're trained not to let our patients suffer, that knowledge and philosophy has not made it down here yet. Nor has the accessibility and affordability.

We stop at the 14-year-old's home to change his bandage. It is much easier to do it outside in the sun than inside the home.

The boy is in obvious pain but does not cry. Sergio gave him 200 mg tablets of ibuprofen yesterday and says take one. I told him to take two and add 500 mg of Tylenol, hopefully it will take the edge off. The boy is not hungry, probably because he is so uncomfortable.

Walking the streets of San Cristobal on my way to the museo.

This boy had about 8% partial first and second degree burns and is almost completely done with the wound care. Sergio says this boy has a strong spirit because he never cried or expressed pain with dressing changes.

When I asked Don Sergio, "Do you have a strong spirit when it comes to pain?", he said, "Sometimes yes, sometimes no".

All posts are my own personal observations and opinions. Patricia Ferrer, PA-C.

San Cristóbal - Day Eight

2011-03-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

March 25, 2011

The day begins with juicing three oranges which yields one large glass of orange juice. This is much better than pouring it out of a plastic jug.... I love slow food.

Our regular driver has not shown up the past couple of days. This happens at times; some days he will be there everyday and others he won't. So we take a taxi to the market to find another cheaper taxi to go to Nishnamtic.

The drive through the country-side is beautiful, here we see a family herding their sheep.

Our taxi driver is a young man in his early twenties and I hear him asking Sergio many questions. I enjoyed the conversation and his curiosity about Don Sergio as Sergio explained matter-of-factly what he did.

We saw the two-year-old with the hot liquid burn and he tolerated the dressing changes well.

A group of onlookers were behind us whispering amongst themselves. Several scamper away as I pull out my camera to take a photo.

This is a photo of the part of the family's yard. In a Mexico history book I had read, "The man who farms the land owns the land."

Back to San Cristóbal, we see the three-year-old and quickly do our work. The child tolerates all dressing changes well until we get to her left hand and arm. Bandage changes are always done without pain medication as we have none.

Making our rounds through San Cristóbal we saw four more patients and called it a day. We were both so tired today we kept falling asleep in the taxi ride back from Nishnamtic.

Later, back at the museo a few people trickle in and out and our patient load is light this evening.

This young lady who gladly poses for this photo came in last week while Kieu was here. After a history and physical exam and we recommended lab tests which yielded the cause of her complaints. Today she brings the results in and we put her in the right direction for the medical care she needs.

Our last patient of the evening is a 14 year old with a circumferential burn of his left lower leg that happened the day before yesterday. His parents took him to the Red Cross where they gave him an antibiotic and ibuprofen. At this point his wound looks like a superficial second degree burn caused by boiling hot water from a broken ceramic pot.

Between patients with down time, I browse through the museo and I have the luxury of getting my own private explanation of certain pieces. This old pot was made for a fiesta and held atole, a liquid grain breakfast food. After the festival, corn is stored in these pots. Sergio took care of a burned child and the father saw that Sergio admired the pot and gave it to him.

Sergio said this mask is made out of cartón (cardboard) and found it years ago in place he can't remember.

San Cristóbal - Day Seven

2011-03-25T05:33:00.000-07:00

March 24, 2011

Yesterday after the morning rounds there was a man waiting on Don Sergio's museum steps. He explained that his two-year-old son had been burned with boiling coffee eight days ago. This will make three children under the age of four that we will be caring for.

Today, the man met us at the museo at 9:30 this morning to take us to a community called Nichnamtii, which is about a 30- 40 minute drive.

As we were leaving San Cristóbal we were halted by a parade and many children were dressed in costumes.

Nichnamtii is on the road to Tenejapa at a higher elevation. It was a bit cooler, more green, and there are more crops and small villages dotting the landscape. This is a cemetery in the style of the local people. Tall trees around the blue Mayan crosses (that are pre-Hispanic) and signify 'the tree of life'.

This is a drive-by photo of the local school children.

I have photos and a video of this two-year-old but they are a bit graphic so I will put them on a powerpoint or video link at a later date. It turns out most of his right leg from his thigh to ankle were burned to the superficial dermis. It appears that 13% of his body surface area is a first and second degree burn.

These are the women of the house of the two-year-old. They walked us outside and gave us many thanks for helping this child.

As we left their home I saw a man and two women preparing the soil for planting.... was this what it was like in the US before WW2?

Returning to San Cristóbal we saw our usual patients and afterward I met Bela and Sheri for lunch. Sheri is a guest at Bela's and is an expert in Mexican textiles and lives in Oaxaca. Her website explores the traditional textiles of Mexico and she highly recommends going to Don Sergio's museo. Her website is Living Textiles of Mexico.

As usual we had a tasty lunch – we went to a restaurant called La Canela. A close up of Sheri's quesadilla: home-made blue corn tortilla with potatoes and chorizo and a small pasta salad with small chunks of apples (not in photo) . My quesadilla had nopales and mushrooms with a just enough cheese. So yummy!

Back to the museo at 4:000 pm and the psoriasis patient had returned and said he was doing much better, however, he complained of a few annoying problem areas. It is difficult to explain that the medicine can take up to two weeks for best improvement and it had only been three days. Since all we had was weak topical cortisone I used the poorman's treatment of applying the cream to the bothersome and thick areas and occluding it with tegaderm (a cellophane-like tape). He will on return on Monday and I will have to explain again, this is not curable but we can try to control it. The sun is strong here and it would help his psoriasis but he is resistant to that idea.

Shortly afterward the patient with the hugely parasitic infected foot I saw six monthw ago came in. I did a biopsy and took him to the lab for blood work. I'm hoping we can find what ails him. He saw a physician a few years ago and was offered amputation of his leg which he declined. This has been present for 12 years.

I have better clinical photos which are to grotesque but this one gives you the idea of how this infection is deforming his foot.

Two blocks from the museo is a laboratorio. The patient did not speak Spanish but he had an interpreter with him. I explained the need for blood work and that I would pay. The lab tech and I soon discovered his interpreter spoke limited Spanish so we spent 20 minutes explaining what needed to be done. Once he understood he agreed. Notice the tech not using gloves: this is not unusual in Mexico.

With that taking up most of the evening, when I returned the women from the day prior were there. Kieu left her tennis shoes and socks for the girl with scleroderma as her feet get cold and painful. Many of the locals wear cheap plastic sandals and I admire the ability to do that but in this particular case, the girl would benefit from shoes.

It was a long day and I was in bed by 9:30..pooped.

San Cristóbal - Day Six - Observations

2011-03-24T05:42:00.000-07:00

March 23, 2011

To follow are observations of women in the indigenous culture and it seems basically they work all the time. Three years ago when Bruce and I drove through Mexico, we commented on how the women did quite a bit of heavy labor. We know men are stronger physically but we saw women (young and old) carrying wood on their backs, a young girl balancing a tree trunk on her head carrying it uphill, women tilling the land, minding the sheep, shearing the sheep, spinning the wool, weaving the wool, then carrying and selling their products with babies strapped to their backs. I'm assuming they do all the cooking as well. We did see some men doing the labor but not as prevalent as the women.

Young girls getting water. There is nothing wrong with working hard but the balance of work between sexes may be off kilter favoring the male sex.

Women doing laundry the hard way.

Sergio showed me photos of building a water filtration system which basically the walls are made of concrete blocks and mortar. Here the women mix the mortar. My father did some masonry work and we, as children, mixed concrete in an electric concrete mixer.

Fortunately, my father did not make us carry concrete blocks on our backs, with no shoes!

At the museo over the last four or five evenings there has been a young lady, sitting to the far left and her friends sitting to the right, bring me gifts of food and a new patient (always a woman) from there village. It is likely these women would not otherwise seek medical consult. The patients are in their indigenous garb and she translates from their native tongue to Spanish. It makes me happy that this young woman is an advocate for the women of her community.

Sergio informs me that the women do most of the work, it is their culture and jokingly says (I think jokingly) the men are "to think".

This 70 year-old-man carries his own bag uphill.

I'm glad to inform all that Kieu made it back home to her family safely and we already miss her!

San Cristobal - Day Five - Kieu's Last Day

2011-03-23T05:54:00.000-07:00

March 22, 2011

Our first stop of the morning was a three-year-old girl that was burned a month and a half ago. Evidently, she was playing near a burning trash fire with a friend and fell into the fire. In our minds we may think, "What was she doing near the fire playing?". The trash pick-up infrastructure is not the best here and the family may have limited land on which to burn their trash, which is fairly typical here, as it is in rural USA. This photo depicts the first time she is able to walk after the accident.

True to my word of not displaying more clinical photos, I want to explain the extensiveness of her injuries. The palm of her left hand is a deep 2ndº burn, Sergio is concerned that her hand will heal contracted palm-side and she will lose a significant mobility. Both of her dorsal feet (top side) have second degree burns as does her left inner arm. The areas with 1stº burns are healing well and she will recover well, the other areas will take more time.

While at this home, other relatives knew we were coming so they bring us a baby that is crying, not eating well and appears cranky. Kieu is great with babies! She evaluates lungs, abdomen, eyes, throat and find the baby has otitis media (ear infection).

There were two men talking with Sergio after we saw the babies so we decided to take a mini-break.

We made it home by 12:30 pm – a good hour and a half before lunch. Kieu sat down in the dining area to read and quickly fell asleep. She is learning the way of the Latin American life: the siesta.

Manuela made pollo borracho (drunken chicken) for lunch which was perfect for me as I was not feeling well. Kieu as usual asked for seconds.

Today is Kieu's last full day with us as she departs tomorrow. The quality of this trip is due to many factors, the major factor is Bela. Her B&B is like a home that you feel like you've known forever. She treats her guests and staff as family which gives an ambiance of peace and comfort.

Back at the museo at 4:00 pm we had few patients. Since we had time to kill Sergio showed us some artifacts and items that most people do not see or recognize. He told us he found many things as he searched for water sources to build water treatment systems for various villages. There are many facets to this man and this private tour and explanation was a great treat for me and Kieu.

A group from San Miguel de Allende of mostly US citizens came in for a tour at 6:00 pm. Kieu and I saw a few more patients while he gave the tour and I ran back to Bela's to get more DVDs of "El Andalon" to sell. A friend of the director, Consuelo Alba, had bought and donated several DVDs and the proceeds of the sales go to Sergio. Kieu and I were so excited to speak (in English) to the tour group about Sergio. The wife of one man had to finally break him away from us.... of course I could have gone on and on!

Our day ends around 8:00 pm. I was not feeling well so Kieu heated up some pozole (hominy soup with pork) and toasted bread before going to bed. She and I hugged and cried in celebration of this unique experience we both have had together this past week. Unforgettable!

San Cristóbal - Day Four

2011-03-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

March 21, 2011

Our friends from Mexico City (DF) leave this morning and go to Sumidero Canyon for a tour before flying back home. We got to know much about the Mexican culture and about Germany which adds to our educational experience. Staying at Bela's B & B has made meeting these wonderful people a very special trip.
Left to right: Ana, Kieu, Christine and Eva.

Sergio awaits us at his museo with Isabel, a college student who grew up in San Cristóbal. We got to Teopisca to see the little girl with the leg burn and to our surprise there were no other patients waiting making our trip short.

We saw a few patients in San Cristóbal then had to end our morning rounds a little early to meet with a local B & B owner and philanthropist who is part of a group called Amigos de San Cristobal that helps a variety of NGOs in the community. I left a few DVDs with him to share with his B&B patrons who may be interested in purchasing them.

We walked through the neighborhood where I usually stay that has beautiful small markets. Kieu could not resist stopping and buying pineapple, fresh strawberries and mangos. Mango season in Mexico is out of this world!

There is a Holiday Inn in San Cris and it is like no other Holiday Inn I've ever seen. Kieu and I browsed through the area to take a few photos.

Back to Bela's for lunch we had pozole made fresh by Manuela. Her food is so tasty that Kieu has had seconds with every meal!

We get back to the museo at 4:00 pm (mas o menos) and there is a house full of patients waiting. Sergio in his usual chair treating patients looks up at us as if to say, "¡Por fin!" We quickly divide the patients and get to work.

This three-year-old girl has 1st and 2ndº burns to 25% of her body. Her parents brought her in for Sergio to take care after spending 45 days in a local hospital. She was amazingly calm and cooperative.

Here she is after getting her dressing changed. She never cried while being worked on.

Sergio was translating three languages to make sure patients understood our instructions.

An indigenous patient with widespread vitiligo and psoriasis came for care. He was showing us the extensiveness of his skin condition. It is a not cultural norm for a man to be evaluated by a female medical practitioner. This is such an honor to serve this indigenous population that we would normally have no access to. They really trust Sergio and therefore trust us.

We meet Susan, a friend of Bela's who runs an NGO helping the autonomous communities in Chiapas with various projects called Schools for Chiapas. She came and took a tour of Sergio's museo and walked with us back to Bela's after we were done for the evening. We stopped at a chuck wagon to buy a bottle of homemade beer for a friend of hers.

San Cristóbal - Day Four - Our Day Off!

2011-03-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

March 20, 2011

Sunday is our day off so we walked the streets of San Cristóbal up to Cerro de San Cristobalito.

We rested in the church then walked to a friend's house to meet him and his girlfriend. They showed us around their place then brought us back to Bela's.

Afterward we went out for lunch around 3:00 pm with the whole B&B gang and had a fabulous meal at a nearby hotel. Their courtyard was so tropical.

We walked off our lunch by going to the market and browsing at all the great gifts from Guatemala and the surrounding areas of San Cristóbal.

The day ends at midnight as we stayed up chatting, eating toast, and drinking tea with our friends from Mexico City and Bela. The warmth and aesthetics of the fire adds to this paradisaical home.

San Cristóbal con Don Sergio - Day Three

2011-03-20T05:53:00.000-07:00

March 19, 2011

The weather has been spectacular since we arrived. The day starts with cloud cover which burns off by the time we leave to meet Sergio's at 9:00 am at his museo. It is a pleasant walk through el centro.

Today's field trip includes going back to Teopisca to see the baby girl with the leg burn and other patients that may be waiting at the church.

Kieu shows this atopic dermatitis patient how to apply the hydrocortisone and the vaseline to her rashes. Our options for treatment are limited.

We saw seven more patients with a variety of health complaints. Most of the 50-year-old plus group complain of back, knee, shoulder and neck pain. We see them carrying 50 kg bags of charcoal or wood on their backs and it takes its toll. People look older than their stated age due to the hard labor and sun damage. We bought 100 capsules of ibuprofen as that is all we can offer.

Back in San Cristóbal we see a few more patients and we are done by 1:15 pm. Walking in the door to Bela's place we are greeted by her and her happy dogs.

Bela's cook takes the weekend off so we're on our own for lunch. She has three women guests from Mexico City (DF), two came with us, Eva and Ana and who shows up but the third guest, Christine from Germany, via DF. We had a leisurely lunch at Napoli...the food was delicioso!

The women here have to be some of the best cooks in the world!

Left to right: Bela, Kieu, Eva and Ana, the chef is in the background.

Just before the food arrived we were joined by Christine, also from DF (originally Germany). Left to right: Patricia, Kieu, Christine, Eva and Ana.

After lunch Kieu, Bela, Ana and Eva go walk around el centro. Christine and I went back to our rooms, and I gathered our things for our evening clinic. Bela and Kieu met us at the museo.

Sergio changes the dressing on another child with a burn. The older sister holds her little sister while Don Sergio gets the job done.

The mother of this child is young and may be mentally delayed. She speaks her native language and Sergio translates. The child had otitis media (ear infection) but since you cannot buy antibiotics over the counter anymore in Mexico, Sergio had to ask a Mexican physician friend for the prescription. Kieu shows the mother how to give the patient medication with a syringe.

Kieu changes bandage for gentleman with a chronic ulcer. He was hit by a car many years ago and has used crutches since as he cannot walk on this leg. He comes to Sergio's museo two to three times a week.

Sergio gives a tour to a group and Kieu, Eva, Ana and Christine join the group. Afterward, Eva and Ana invite us for dinner then back home we stay up chatting with Bela. Tea and homemade banana bread before bed.

San Cristóbal con Don Sergio - Day Two

2011-03-19T06:40:00.001-07:00

March 18, 2011

Per Sergio the plan is to see the baby from Teopisca at the museo at 9:00 am and then he has a group of students to take on a tour at the museum at 10:00 am. Kieu and I would organize the supplies while he gave the tour. Afterward we would go see the patients in San Cristóbal.

The baby girl has her burn dressing changed without pain medication.

Kieu and I organized the supplies for easy access for Don Sergio.

Sergio gives tour and educates students on the artifacts in his costume museum. He is big advocate for education and health.

We change the dressing on the patient with the vasculitic ulcer.

The patient needed some debridement so we applied lidocaine ointment 30 minutes prior. Kieu debrided the wound and we dressed the wound gently with a foam wrap and coban.

I don't think Sergio minds that we do some of the work.

By helping out we get to visit some unique homes, this is one of many.

This patient has neurocysticercosis, which is the leading cause of seizures and epilepsy in the developing world and is caused by ingestion of eggs from a tape worm in contaminated food (mostly undercooked pork and fish). He had a seizure while cooking and fell in the fire.

Kieu and I made it back for a wonderful lunch at Bela's B&B, I took a nap while Kieu checked her email. Back to the museo at 4:00 pm.

This patient with chronic venous stasis dermatitis and ulcer that has been coming to Sergio for care.

Sergio is taking a break while Kieu is working away at this patient with ulcerated leg from falling onto a piece a metal.

Sergio is also a janitor at his museo.

San Cristóbal con Don Sergio Castro - Day One

2011-03-18T05:57:00.000-07:00

Kieu and I flagged down a taxi cab and the driver loaded our supplies in his trunk. We met with Sergio at his museo as he was waiting for us. We grabbed a few supplies from the suitcases and off we went. Sergio quickly gives us the plan: first to Teopisca by way of a taxi, then we'll get another taxi, see a little girl with a leg burn then back to San Cristóbal to see more patients.

No problema, we're ready. We arrived at a central church in Teopisca and the mother and little girl were waiting. To our surprise afterward there were seven other patients wanting to be seen for various medical ailments: dysmenorrhea, back pain, arthritis, atopic dermatitis, colitis and reflux. Sergio explained that we specialized in dermatology, but we are glad to use our basic family med skills to help out.

Returning back to San Cristóbal we see several patients in their homes. Don Sergio takes care of anyone who needs the care. There are no wound care centers here and Don Sergio is a one man show.... rich, poor, Indigenous, Ladino and foreigners that may show up at his museo asking for wound care.

This patient had an ulcer Don Sergio has worked on over the last month and the patient was practically in tears as he told Kieu and me of his gratitude. Incidentally, we found he had a couple of basal cell skin cancers on his face and numerous precancers on his hands. He stated he goes to Tuxtla for his dermatological care.... maybe he hasn't been recently so they didn't notice this nodular BCC on his left cheek.

It appears this patient had an episode of possibly cutaneous mixed small and medium vessel vasculitis. This condition can be caused from a variety of reasons and it is difficult to pin it down due to her many health problems. Fortunately, the vasculitis appears to be resolved but the aftermath is a large, suppurative, deep stage II ulcer that is very painful. She really needs a vascular/arterial work up, etc.... resources not easily accessible.

Beet soup lunch. We made it back to Bela's B&B for lunch around 2:45 and Manuela and her daughters made us an incredible meal. The food they eat is mostly locally grown and so flavorful. This is the way we are supposed to eat!! MUY SABOROSO! Napolitas, tortillas y queso, ensalada y pico de gallo.... incredible!

Back to the museo at 5:00 pm.... patients are waiting.

I have refrained from putting in clinical photos but will put them in a Powerpoint file at a later time for those health care providers that are interested in what type of patients we see here. This one I had to post because she has healed from a severe burn injure a few years ago. Her arm is weak and she uses this modified brace to support her arm.

She had a seizure and fell in a fire and severely burned her right upper arm. This is what it looks like five years later.

Sergio, like a superhero to the rescue, provided the wound care this profound 3rdº burn and she was able to keep her arm, and, although it is significantly compromised, she has remarkable use of her right hand.

Don Sergio let us go early for the evening so our tasks were to buy meds, have dinner, go home and get some rest. At dinner Kieu and I succumbed to the children street vendors and bought several of their handmade clay figures.

This was a great way to end the day. A hug and a smile from this 10 year-old pounding the pavement to make a few pesos for his family.

So much for rest, we ended staying up until midnight chatting with Bela.... good times!

Arrived safely in San Cristóbal de Las Casas

2011-03-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

March 17, 2011

Kieu and I arrived around 9:30 last night to Bela's B&B. Bela sent her favorite trusted driver, Don Gerardo, to pick us up at the airport and got us to San Cristóbal efficiently.

Arriving at her place is like walking into a small Mexican paradise. Bela has four dogs that give such life to the place you immediately feel welcomed and at home. In the morning, the birdsong and activity in the open central garden just out our room door add to the quality of the experience.... along with the church bells in the background.

Bela has known and helped Sergio for many years. Sergio's museum is high on her recommended places to visit while here in San Cristóbal, thus sending her guests to meet this humanitarian legend and be enriched with his knowledge of the indigenous culture. We will leave El Andalon videos here to sell and give all proceeds to Sergio. Thank you for hosting us Bela!

US ~ World Care ~ Mexico Connections

2011-03-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

This trip could not be made without the help of World Care. Over the last five months I've been slowing picking up much needed wound care supplies and have developed a wonderful friendship with all the volunteers there and founder and CEO Lisa Hopper.

My many thanks to all who give of their time to make the world a little better, poco a poco. It is the collective effort that makes this mission so successful!

Carl Beck, the man in the cap, is 90 years old, a World War II vet, a mentor to our troops.... he is an energetic, mentally-alert and loving person.... he has more friends than anyone I know, young and old! The ladies on the left are his neices; in the back is Shirley, a retired RN, and the guy in the red shirt is Carl's friend/neighbor Ed. These are the people behind the scenes that make a world wide contribution by organizing the supplies that come in before they are sent to disaster relief and medical missions.

Bernadette (blonde in white shirt) sets the lunch table for everyone and runs the show!

These guys, Charles in the back and Ray in the foreground run the a big part of the operation with the variety of supplies coming in. World Care receives computers, school supplies, various donations to organize sort, repair and prep for cargo shipping.

The Captain of the World Care Helm and and American Humanitarian, Lisa Hopper. Her book tells her story: "In the Wake of a Dream".

For Kieu and me, Bruce made my favorite: Eggs Benedict! A birthday breakfast on our day of departure.

!Feliz Cumpleaños a Don Sergio!

2011-03-12T05:31:00.000-08:00

Veremos film makers John Speyer and Consuelo Alba with me at the San Diego Latino Film Festival.

The maverick humanitarian turns 70 years old today! On a previous trip I saw Don Sergio pick up a 50 kg (110 lb) bag of cement, hoist it on his shoulder and carry it to a waiting car.... he repeated this twice without any difficulty. Don Sergio is not a big man, but strong as an ox and going strong.

Bruce and I took advantage of the stage, background and lighting for the photo op.

Bruce and I have made at trip to San Diego this weekend to meet up with Consuelo Alba and John Speyer, directors of El Andalon. The film is showing this afternoon at 1230pm at the San Diego Latino Film Festival and we'll be readily available to answer any questions.

Meanwhile, supplies are still trickling in. I have recently been in contact with surgery nurse, Joseph Nardello from North Carolina, who is sending me supplies as well as funding to help pay for the excess baggage. Surprisingly, Continental Airlines does not exempt humanitarian supplies from baggage fees, however we are hopeful that when we check our bags we will have a sympathetic check-in attendant. If Joseph's donated funds are not used for baggage fees, the money goes to Don Sergio. Thank you so much Joseph!

These are supplies from World Care, I will have to squeeze Joseph's supplies into another suitcase.

Incidentally, Joseph has friends in Tucson who have not seen the video. I sent them my last one and they will be showing the film to their friends and colleagues today. They had met Sergio October las year while traveling through Chiapas and all agreed, "We met a saint". Thank you Carmen and Bob (and your group) for spreading the word!

posted by Patricia Ferrer: pferrer03@gmail.com

February 2011 Update

2011-02-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

This coming March 16, a friend (and colleague) and I will be making another journey to San Cristóbal de Las Casas. We are both in the process of obtaining supplies to help our fellow humanitarian Sergio Castro. World Care has generously donated supplies for this and previous trips. For $1 per pound, the supplies we obtained are invaluable to Don Sergio and his patients.

As for "El Andalon", the film will be shown in San Miguel de Allende and San Luis Potosi by Mary Murrell to an audience of those interested in seeing this Maverick Humanitarian. The Thin Line Film Festival will be showing "El Andalon" in Denton, TX (near Dallas) February 15-20th. The San Diego Latino Film Festival will be showing the film on March 12, which Bruce and I plan to attend. It will also be showing in Cuba: Festival Internacional de Documentales en Santiago de Cuba. Of all places in the world, Cuba!

The producers, Consuelo and John, have worked so hard to promote and expose Don Sergio's work to the world and they are making a difference. Veremos Productions are on to their next project about the Corzo de Chiapas festival and they continue to advocate passionately for Don Sergio.

This post was created by Patricia Ferrer: pferrer03@gmail.com

"El Andalon" Producers in San Cristóbal

2010-11-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

"El Andalon" producers Consuelo Alba and John Speyer are currently traveling through Mexico showing the documentary about Don Sergio Castro and have now made it to San Cristóbal. Their mission is to show the people of Mexico this true living legend and to gain local, regional and international support. The film reveals all facets of Don Sergio's work.
Click here to see trailer.

As for real life of the indigenous Sergio cares for, the young woman sho had 30% of her body surface area burned has died. Speaking with Sergio yesterday he explained that her complications were the cause of her demise. I commented sadly that this would not have happened in the US — she would have received the care necessary to get her back to her quality of life. He explained that he tried to get her family to take her to the hospital, but time and again they refused, as did she. There is much to understand of this "natural"(?) way of thinking.

Medical Challenges

2010-10-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

The critical burn patient in Navanchauc (see latest August posting) with 30% body surface area affected has had one complication after another. Sergio is in a quandary as to what to do. First she complained of back pain.... she may have an kidney infection due to an indwelling urinary catheter. Luckily, Sergio has ciprofloxin on hand (OTC in Mexico until 2011) which covers urinary tract infection, hence he treated empirically.

A month later Sergio explains that one of her legs is developing significant swelling that is not going down, compromising her ability to heal. As of most recently both legs are now swollen. The patient has been immobile for more than three months and her pulses on her feet are hard to find but the patient seems to be 'OK'. The list of complications can include a DVT (deep vein thrombosis), compartment syndrome (inner swelling compressing all tissues), hematoma, and poor kidney function, and probably more than I can think of.

In the US, identifying a DVT is made by using a Doppler, if positive, heparin infusion and subsequent warfarin; compartment syndrome is usually relieved by surgical means by opening up the deeper fascia layers relieve pressure/compression; hematoma also may require surgical treatment and poor kidney function can be averted by monitoring and treating appropriately. In Chiapas, this "advanced" medical care is not readily available and the patient had such an unpleasant experience in the hospital that neither she, nor the family, wants her to go back. Sergio’s option is to bring a medical doctor to evaluate the patient. He takes blood and urine with results to be determined. The urine is a good idea to rule out a bladder infection, blood work to determine if there is an underlying infection, anemia, kidney function, electrolytes….but to identify if a clot was present the patient needs a doppler/ultrasound.

Per Sergio, the physician started the patient on furosemide to help push fluid through the kidneys and reduce swelling, as of this writing it has not been successful. It's the only option for now.... just wait and see.

The patients have so much trust in Sergio but it is at times like these he needs a real medically-trained health care provider to guide and help him. These are challenging cases, he does the best he can with what he has.

Sergio encouraged the family to see a physician in Tuxtla but the patient and family refuse to go. They do not want to go back to the hospital for any reason, even if there is pending bad outcome. One has to ask why? Lack of trust? Discrimination? Lack of confidence? What could possibly stop someone from seeking urgent medical care that is limb or life threatening?

Meanwhile in the US, Consuelo and John, directors of Sergio's documentary "El Andalon", attended the Idaho Spiritual film festival and showed their work which was warmly received. No donations have come from the showing but we are always hopeful. Their next stop with the film is Mexico City, where it will be shown four times, then on to Oaxaca. They will then go to Chiapas mid-November to see Sergio personally and leave him "El Andalon" DVDs to sell at his museum.

Bloggers comment: For me, I have recruited a friend/colleague to join me in San Cristóbal in March, 2011. We are planning to take as many medical supplies as possible and to work with him for two weeks. If you would like to help this unique humanitarian with supplies, donations or medical expertise, please contact me via Sergio's email: sergiocastrosc@gmail.com or my personal email: pferrer03@gmail.com

Last day — More patients

2010-08-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

August 10, 2010

Two days prior to my departure Sergio and I were asked to see a young lady in a pueblo in the mountains on the old Pan American highway. On Sundays Sergio usually only cares for patients with significant wounds (the children with burns) and I have my only day off, however, this case sounded pretty grave.

Two women arrived at the museo in their indigenous garb and a driver took us to this village called Navachuc (probably grossly misspelled). It is a 30-minute drive into mountains southwest of San Cristóbal. This two-lane road was very foggy and the road somewhat serpiginous. We passed Zinacantan, a small pueblo that has a good economy growing and exporting flowers augmented by the women's incredible weaving and embroidery.

We arrived at a concrete block home near a tranquil lake that had several homes overlooking this peaceful vista. Inside this clean and organized home which was no more than 300 sq feet was a bed with a young lady, less than 20 years old, with a tented sheet over both lower legs. This patient is an epileptic which seems somewhat common with the indigenous and had an “attack” and fell into an open fire. The woman with her had not been there - she was away to wash clothes by hand and upon returning found her collapsed in the fire (usually a large concrete block or modified BBQ pit in a central area of the home) and was unsure the length of time she had been in the fire.

The end result was a full thickness burns (to the bone) on the right leg and deep dermal burns on left leg. These burns are circumferential involving most of both legs. Fortunately, her feet were spared.

She was hospitalized in Tuxtla for 15 days then transferred to the Centro de Salud in San Cristóbal for seven weeks. I’m sad to confess the care here is suboptimal at best and it is difficult to say what had been done. When we removed the tent we found her wounds unbandaged, superficial aspects of her right tibia bone necrotic and she had a catheter placed for more than 15 days. The parts of the wounds that were not dry were oozing fluid and appeared not to be infected. The family was not given any instructions on care that we know of but it appeared the patient had excellent and willing family support. She had been on her back for so long at this point she developed a 1 x 2" bed ulcer over her lower back.... indicative of little movement for two months.

This type of burn in the US would have been cared for at a burn center, probable graft or other type of tissue graft done on her right leg and physical therapy implemented at this point. She has ~30% body surface area affected which means ~30% of her skin gone! These patients lose water constantly and quickly and their bodies have a difficult time regulating their temperatures, hence she gets cold and shivers burning much need energy that should be going into her body’s healing process.

We gently cleaned her legs and applied petrolatum impregnated gauze and gently wrapped her legs in a telfa-like dressing. We explained she needs to be kept warm and eat a healthy diet while her body is trying to heal.

Our second day out she complained of severe back pain, not her legs. My concern was the indwelling catheter possibly causing a kidney infection. The family said the local doctor was coming out to see her that afternoon and the problem will be addressed. In my opinion the patient needs to start moving, urinating and defecating on own with a bed pan. Sergio explained to the family that they should make an overhead bar so she can lift herself and use her upper body muscles which will help with a bed pan potty. Her attentive family support will augment her healing progress.

Note: These severe burns are mostly caused from floor open fires and anafres which are modified BBQ used indoors on the floor in kitchens, hallways, etc, for cooking and heating. This has been their culture and way of life for eons and change comes slowly.

The family fed Sergio and me authentic corn tortillas as they’ve been made for generations, chicken soup (killing a chicken for us is a considerable expense) and gave me a handmade tote bag. I’m not sure they knew I was departing for the US soon but they showed their gratitude with hugs, food, the gift and smiles.

Prior to my leaving they brought in an elderly woman with a large basal cell skin cancer on her left forehead and incidentally another smaller one on her left cheek. In addition she had several large precancers. My plan is to return in February and I will do my best to have the equipment necessary to treat these lesions so she doesn’t end up like the man with the large basal cell on his chin (out of my comfort zone for treating).

The following day I departed this magical city with many things to think about: continued medical supplies, planned minor surgeries, meds to bring, searching for funding to support Sergio, the upcoming premier of Sergio’s documentary and the Yok Chij A.C. charity (the equivalent of a 501(c)3). While here I met with others involved with operating local Mexican NGOs who offered a tremendous amount of help. However, there will be much work to do to get all the ducks in a row to make it work. Any suggestions? I’m all ears.

I caution the reader beware the following intense photo.

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This city has so much charm and simple aesthetics that adds to its richness. For any health care provider that may be interested in coming to San Cristóbal and helping out, please contact me at: pferrer03@gmail.com.

Posting by Patricia Ferrer.

The good thing about Mexico is...........

2010-08-04T05:27:00.000-07:00

you see things you most likely wouldn't see in the US. The bad thing about Mexico is.......you see things you most likely wouldn't see in the US.

Good: Adults lovingly caring for their elderly parents, mother and daughters unabashedly walking arm-in-arm, siblings genuinely and attentively caring for their younger siblings when crossing the street and protecting them from the rain.
Daughter cares for incapacitate 102-year-old father with chronic bed/decubitus ulcers.

Bad: Dogs uncared for with obvious disease lying around the streets. Children and adults with serious physical disabilities begging on the street.

Good: The most beautiful flowers, well-cared for lush gardens everywhere and many different types of butterflies. Fresh wholesome vegetables easily accessible and always available (mas economico tambíen).

Bad: Children with serious health problems and lack of resources to address them.
I suspect this child is moderately mentally delayed. We care for his brother, burned by boiling water, and this child greets us with the purest of hugs.

This 10-year-old was hit by a car, his leg broken and surgically repaired with metal prosthesis. He was left with large open wounds which Sergio does basic daily wound care. The child is still unable to walk and DOES NOT complain in any way.

All-in-all, I love this place. Just like the US in that we have our 'good' and 'bad' as well.

San Cristóbal de Las Casas is the most charming colonial city Bruce and I had the pleasure of visiting two years ago. It is 7500 ft above sea level, the soil is so rich that everything grows and many visitors (Mexican and foreigners) comment on the various shades of green, the wild flowers and the richness of this area. When returning to Mexico I am in awe of the food as I find beautiful vegetable markets just about everywhere.

This charm offsets the sorrow of many lives here in Chiapas. One learns to detach themselves from the horrific injuries and circumstances that present daily. Although sometimes I have no control over detachment and a pang of sadness overwhelms me momentarily, I am here to help because I want to and if I let the sadness take over, I wouldn't get anything done. I'm not sure how Sergio handles this day-in, day-out.... just a way of life I guess.

Added to our usual patient rounds was a mother with an infant seeking help. This three-month-old Tzotzil infant girl had a unilateral cleft palate and unable to suck properly to consume her mother's milk. The mother took the infant to the local doctor and was told that nothing could be done until the child was two years old. In modern medicine, this is not true. How is the baby to get any food down? Conventional wisdom recommends that these malformations are repaired within the first year of life. Luckily, Sergio's goddaughter Ana, was with us today and explained to the mother that there is a group of surgeons that come annually to do these types of repairs and they are scheduled to be here in September. We'll do all we can to connect the infant's family with this group.

This three-month-old child will fail to thrive as she is unable to suck food from her mother's breast (or bottle). She will need to be fed drop by drop.

Other tragedies include one gentleman that comes to the museo every other day for wound care for his mangled foot from an auto accident years ago. He has a chronic ulcer, uses home-made crutches and he can not work. Another woman shows up at the museo obviously ill as she was pale, bloated and appeared very fatigued. She has one functioning kidney, her face is swollen, her lungs sound congested with fluid, and she has more heart sounds than normal. Her physician told her she needs to get additional studies before he could recommend treatment. She has no money for the tests.

As for "Things you'll most likely never see in the US" is a 30-something Tzotzil man with a parasitic infection of the left foot. This condition has been brewing for 10+ years. A visit to a doctor a few years back included the recommendation of amputation.... which he rightfully avoided. Last year I saw this same man and explained to Sergio he needed a tissue biopsy to identify the culprit of this fungating, malodorous, overgrown foot. The patient has no money nor means or desire to see a doctor. Hence, Sergio does basic/chronic wound care. Upon my return this year, I see the man and his foot is a little bigger and a little worse. Again I explain my concern about a parasite - Sergio continues his wound care. Two days ago I change the bandage and out from this fungating foot came several 1/4-inch tiny worms! Still, what do we do? What is this parasite? Which lab can we send it for proper analysis? There more than likely is a medicine to treat it but where do we get it? Who will pay for all this?

Some days it seems there's a hole that can't be filled. We do what we can with what we have and hope and pray for the best. As Sergio says, "Poco a poco," (little by little) we get things done.

This and all previous posting are from Patricia Ferrer.

Some things never change

2010-08-01T19:03:00.001-07:00

We drove out a long distance to see a young girl with both legs burned and this indigenous cemetery was near her village. The crosses signify the tree of life.

My fifth day here reveals the same traumas I've seen over the last two years since meeting Don Sergio: boiling water burns, gasoline accidents, lower extremity ulcers, dog bites and various ailments that need proper medical attention.

Many people come to Don Sergio's museo complaining of UTIs (bladder infections), arthralgias (chronic joint pain), headaches, etc. They see Don Sergio as a healer although he readily admits he is not. He gives people Tylenol or Advil when he has it and directs them to the appropriate health care facility, however, in many cases it is unlikely they will go.

One patient's home we visit has jugos awaiting for us. For politeness sake we sit for a moment and enjoy the fresh fruit juice of the season in their central patio (always the most pretty and cared for part of the house).

Amidst his giving tours to visitors of his museo for a 35 pesos donation, rhwew ia this constant stream of patients coming. As of now there are few foreign tourista due to the economic recession. However, one recent visitor was his landlord requesting his monthly payment for his museo who recently raised his rent 66%. Paying consistently has always been challenging for Don Sergio because when he receives money it goes directly to the need at hand. This can be anything from a hungry family that presents at his door, medical supplies or paying his driver for patient rounds. Don Sergio has no car and it is much cheaper to have someone drive him around than pay for a taxi every stop along the way.

The colonial homes all have indoor patios, which make so much sense to let the outside inside.... always a lovely site.

Most recently we owe thanks to the IF Foundation for their recent donation to Don Sergio. They are a non-profit seeking hopeful alternatives to end the violence, greed and destructiveness of our world. They're based in Watsonville, California. Please click on the above link to visit their website.

Be forewarned; following are photos of various wounds:
Boiling hot water fell on this young child whose wounds are recovering well.

This elderly man shows up from Ocosingo, a town a few hours away. He has a basal cell carcinoma (not life threatening but it can be if he lives a long time an it is not taken care of). I recommend he go to Tuxtla to see a general surgeon (no Mohs around here) to have it excised. Per Sergio, it is "unlikely he will go", hence wound care and slow progression of this massive tissue destroying lesion.

This girl grabbed my hands, cried and held on as Sergio changed her bandages. Afterward, she's fine. These kids never fight, resist or complain.... they may cry, but they know it has to be done and they know there is an end to the pain.

This patient is the one that seems to suffer the most during his visit to Don Sergio. Changing the bandage is so painful for him as he screams, "¡Me duele!" (It hurts me) but never does he pull back, put his hands in the way, or interfere with application of the wound dressings. In the US, we would never allow a child to endure so much pain.... here there is no choice. When we're done I see sweat droplets on his nose and upper lip and his hair is drenched.

2010 Summer San Cristobal

2010-07-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

All is well in San Cristóbal. I arrived late Tuesday and caught a shuttle up the 74 km cuota road to San Cristóbal. Everything is lush and richly green, the mountain-side farming is growing well and it seems as if time has stood still. Nothing has changed getting to this charming colonial mountain town.

It was raining heavily and the streets have no gutters so they become rivers and are very clean afterwards. After settling at my apartment, I took a taxi (two dollars) to Sergio's museo... there he was waiting for me. I had failed to call the day before confirming my arrival but he knew when to expect me.

The following morning he picked me up and my two large suitcases of supplies and we went on our usual patient rounds: typical venous ulcers, an older man recovering from a significant dog bite from three months prior, a 102-year-old man neurologically incapacitated with bed ulcers and an 80-year-old diabetic woman with grotesque deep heel ulcers. The type of care Sergio gives is adequate (by Mexican standards) but rudimentary compared to the care we receive in the US.

As the shuttle drove into San Cristóbal I saw a new hospital was complete: Hospital de las Culturas, but from what the locals tell me is they have no doctors to work there. People here complain about the inadequacy of health care. This was one of the issues brought up by the Zapatistas - a part of the history some venders try to capitalize on by selling rebellious images on T-shirt prints. Sixteen years later they have a hospital but no one to man it... maybe in el futuro. At the old hospital that is manned, the doctors send patients to Sergio for wound care since they have no resources.

After the morning rounds I walked around looking for a place to buy a small wash rag for showering.... after a good hour I gave up... it's easy to find someone to clean and repair your shoes but finding other things can be challenging.

While walking I observed mostly Mexican tourists, saw one gringo and few Europeans. The town is bustling with the usual indigenous people selling the same items by the thousands, the sound of the marimba in the back ground and of course a firecracker here an there.

We saw many patients at the museo and sadly there were three boys with significant leg burns, one of which was mostly healed, one at the half-way mark and the other with a long way to go. The latter, the saddest, was a boy who had to be under the age of six, as he still had all his deciduous teeth, (baby teeth - I saw all of them as he cried) with a deep circumferential burn (into the dermis - 2ndº) from his knee to his ankle. Sergio has no access to pain medication and does all wound care without it... even if he had it I'm not sure he'd use it. The mother held the boy and the sister held his foot keeping the child still as Sergio changed his bandage. The mother smiled at me as if to say, "I'm doing my job".... the sister held a serious look. After it was over, all was well with the child.... these people are resilient!

We finished around 7:00 pm, I stopped by my favorite Italian restaurant for la cena (dinner), and bought oatmeal and bananas on the way home. We'll hit it again at 9:30 am en la mañana.

A special THANK YOU to all at Tucson's WORLD CARE !! They donated 80 pounds of medical supplies..... and I"m guessing these supplies had a street value of over two thousand USD. Sergio, the Chiapanecas and I are so grateful to Lisa Hopper's long term and successful vision of collecting and distributing good and new unused medical supplies that would otherwise be discarded. These supplies are given to various medical missions and humanitarian relief programs around the world. Please click on the link above to learn more.

Wound photos to follow:

August 2009 - Return to San Cristobal, Chiapas

2009-12-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

In August of 2009, I returned to San Cristóbal bringing medical supplies and to assist Sergio Castro with his humanitarian work. The month of August is beautiful in San Cristóbal with its plants blooming and the afternoon showers. I find Sergio, as before, with many patients, few supplies and his getting by on minimal funds. Tourism is down in all of Mexico (economy and H1N1) and more so in San Cristóbal - since it is harder to get here. Hence, visitor volume to his museo is down significantly.

Our daily rounds include an indigenous man with a burn to the front part of his left leg with mid-deep dermal (2nd - 3rdº burn). Imbibing too much posh he fell asleep by the fire... he has since discontinued his alcohol consumption. The hospital initially cared for his wound and sent him home with no follow-up aftercare. We visit this man every other day. We also see a middle-aged woman with poorly controlled epilepsy that fell into a cooking fire during an episode. The left buttock suffered a larger area of mid dermal 2ndº burn. She is in severe pain during our bandage change and she has to mentally prepare herself for our visits. Some days she cannot muster the strength to endure the pain.

Sergio uses the minimum of supplies and pain medication is out of the question. He has none, nor access to anything adequate to lessen the discomfort the patients experience.

Another house calls includes the indigenous man who burned the back of his right leg severely in December '08. This long-term care of severe burns is typical. This man will have life-long disability but it will not prevent him from working in his field. There are several other patients that I won't list and if interested click here see my most recent powerpoint.

Sergio hired a driver from Chamula that comes dily to drive him to his house calls. He pays him weekly or when ever he can. Sadly, Marcos, the driver we had in April has died unexpectedly and suddenly. From what I can make out, he complained of stomach pain and never saw a doctor. He then started vomiting blood and bled to death. The family took him to a "curandero" (spiritual medicine-man/quasi-shaman) and he died in a short period of time. From the story I'm guessing he bled to death from a stomach ulcer or possibly esophageal varices. Regardless, a sad demise as he was in his mid 30s. His brother, Mariano, has now taken the task of driving Sergio around.

My cousin Roy came for a visit my second week there and he brought with him more medical supplies from a company called MedShare. With a $75 donation my cousin was able to pack 50 pounsa of medical supplies and to my joy it appeared to have a street value of over $1000. Fortunately the airlines did not charge him extra for this load.

To see the clinical photos of this latest visit in powerpoint presentation format click here.

Sergio Castro: The Tireless Humanitarian

2009-03-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

April 20, 2009

FOR MUSEO DE TRAJES REGIONALES SEE TOUR INFORMATION IN RIGHT HAND COLUMN.

Photo right: Sergio to received the Dr. Manuel Velazquez-Suarez Medal of Merit Sancristobalense on March 31, 2009.

My name is Patricia and I originally started this website for Sergio Castro Martinez. I initially met Sergio last year and was so impressed with his work I have committed to helping him in anyway possible so that he can continue his remarkable efforts.

This classroom is in a tool shed, the chilren's desk is held up by shortened tree trunks. Sergio is currently trying to raise money to build a 3-room school, with latrines and a water system.

The past five weeks I have spent with Sr. Castro confirms his five-decade commitment to helping the people of Chiapas, mainly those around San Cristóbal de las Casas. In the morning our house calls include burn victims or those with various other types of wounds. In the late afternoon we see more patients at his museum, these are lower leg ulcers caused from varicose veins or diabetes. After the evening clinic Sr. Castro gives an educational tour of his museum.

This 5 year old boy was burned accidentally with boiling water. His 12 year old aunt came to Sergio's museo at 9am seeking his help for her nephew.

Museo de Trajes Regionales is a rustic museum that exhibits a large collection of costumes, textiles and other items ranging from musical instruments, tools, masks, celebratory and religious artifacts from various Chiapaneca indigenous Indians. These items have been collected over a period of 45 years by museum owner Sergio Castro Martinez. This collection is rare, as the clothing and personal possessions are typically buried with the deceased and some pieces are no longer reproduced in the same fashion.

This unique collection as been accumulated through Sr. Castro’s daily humanitarian work with the indigenous population. In his more than 45 years hgere Sr. Castro has built schools and water catchment and filtration systems for the indigenous villages lacking this basic infrastructure. In addition, the majority of his time is spent providing medical and wound care to burn victims of Chiapas. The extensive collection are gifts from the many he has helped during the last five decades.

The museum tour educates visitors on the functionality, style and type of the dress you may find as you explore Chiapas. Sr. Castro demonstrates the different indigenous languages and provides insight to traditional living standards. A section of the museum displays photos of the schools and water systems he has constructed, recognitions for his humanitarian work and photos of burn victims he has helped.

The museo helps fund Sr. Castro's humanitarian efforts with wound care, building of schools and water treatment systems. This website was created to help facilitate donating in an easier and modern fashion. By clicking on the donate button above you can easily donate to Sr. Castro via PayPal.

I am currently working on a new website for clarity's sake and hope to have it up and running in one to two months. Please come back and visit. Thank you!

Santa Elena needs 2-room building for more students. More funds are needed to complete this project.

Sergio Castro Martinez: Humanitarian of Chiapas

2008-11-09T05:50:00.000-08:00

Sergio Castro Martinez is by training a veternarian and agricultural engineer, however by nature he is a true humanitarian, ethnologist and hyperpolyglot (he speaks 7 languages fluently). Sergio has spent the last 45 of his 67 years building schools, developing water treatment systems and providing medical care for burn victims and wound care for the many indigenous cultures and Mexican people of Chiapas.

Over the years, for his service, Sergio has been given tribal garb, statuettes, masks, tools, and decorative items from the villages he has helped. He carefully displays these items in his museum in San Cristobal del las Casas, Chiapas. This museum, Museo de Trajes Regionales, also serves as his clinic from 4-7pm, after which he personally gives tours to large and small groups for a nominal fee of 35 pesos per person. This tour includes a detailed review of the various tribal wear, their customs and a slide show of these native people.

Sergio briefly and humbly mentions his work throughout the state of Chiapas however there is a room that displays photos of the many burn victims he's cared for, the schools and water treatment systems he has built, and documents of recognition from around the world he has received for his humanitarian work.

Museo de Trajes Regionales

How to arrange a tour:

Call Sergio at 3pm or 9-10 pm at 967-678-4289, use country code 52 prefix if you are calling from out of country.

Location: Victoria Guadelupe #38, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas Mexico

Time: Every day at 7pm.

Fee: 35 pesos

Language: Sergio speaks French, Italian, Spanish, English and three native languages.

Donations are gratefully accepted at the end of the tour or you can go click on the donate button on this website.

Allow an hour for the tour.

Thank you for visiting!

Sergio continues to work tirelessly building schools and helping these poor unfortunate people of Chiapas. To read more about Sergio go to:

http://www.diariodechiapas.com/news/121/ARTICLE/1874/2007-08-31.html

http://www.couleurmonde.com/spip.php?article264

http://www.heritance.org/projectprofile_mexico-chiapas.html

http://irishberliner.blogspot.com/2009/03/un-heroe-de-chiapas.html

http://www.chiapas.nl/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=152045455514&ref=mf#/group.php?gid=152045455514

New Website Under Construction

2008-11-08T15:39:00.000-08:00

We are a couple visiting in San Cristobal del las Casas, Chiapas and had the privilege of spending time with Sergio Castro Martinez. We started this blog site and Paypal account for him to make it easier for the modern world to donate money to his important and worthy causes.

While this is under construction please go to http://perdidoyalegre.blogspot.com/2008/11/humanitarian-of-chiapas-sergio-castro.html to find out more. Or, if you already know of Sergio and his work , please click on the "Donate" button on the column to the right.

Thank you very much for your interest!