Medical Director
Anthony Lazzara, M.D.,
SFO

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It was on a Saturday, while we were buying food in the market, that we first saw him, a gaunt man of 18 years sitting on a low wooden stool with a sign reading, I need money for bus fare and treatments. His name was Maximo and he suffered from a huge benign tumor of the pelvis that required radiation therapy. He was incapacitated, unable to walk without crutches, and having no source of income and coming from a very poor family, he had taken to begging to secure the needed funds. I introduced myself, spoke with him briefly and offered to help him, giving him our address. However, we heard nothing from him and two weeks later, we saw him in the same spot with the same sign. I again spoke with him and offered to help him but told him that he would have to agree to come to our home. He appeared a week later and accepted our offer of help. Curious as to why he had not sought our help earlier, I questioned him as to why he had delayed in coming. Somewhat embarrassed he said he could not control his bowel movements and did not want to inconvenience the other children.

His illness had begun 2 years earlier with a vague discomfort in the pelvic area. This gradually progressed to pain and loss of his bodily functions. He was from a small village in the mountains which lacked medical facilities and he only had recourse to home remedies which afforded him no relief. When he was finally able to come to the capitol for advanced medical care for a year and a half later, the tumor had grown to a size that precluded surgery. Radiation therapy was the only option but for that he needed money. Hence the need to beg.

He quickly settled in the home and entered into the day to day routine which was punctuated by thrice weekly visits to the hospital for treatments. Two months later, he was abruptly told by his attending physician that radiation was not effective, that nothing could be offered to him and that he was discharged. The news was devastating and to our way of thinking, unacceptable. We had to exhaust all possibilities before accepting that there was nothing left for Maximo but a slow painful death. Through contacts in the US, we were able to secure medical care on a charity basis in a hospital in the Northeast. He was first seen there in N 0vember of 1998 and was started on a medication which had proven effective against his type of tumor. He returned to our home and remained on the medication for 2 years. At first, the tumor decreased in size, raising hopes of a cure but then began to grow again, causing increasing pain. Two more trips to the U.S. for palliative surgery and reassessment of his care proved of no benefit and indeed during the last visit at the end of last year, it was confirmed that the tumor had converted into a high grade malignancy.

He returned to us 3 weeks ago with his characteristic good humor and optimism with no trace of bitterness in his demeanor. He was happy to be home and repeatedly thanked us for all that had been done for him. The older boys with whom he shares his room have responded with amazing concern. They have completely taken over his nursing care, bathe him, change his dressings and colostomy bags, take him to the bathroom and are very solicitous of his every need. If suffering has a purpose, it must be this: it galvanizes our love for one another, enables us to forget our own needs and step out of ourselves to minister to others, and most importantly, it enables us to recognize our Lord in the one who suffers. As such, it has a redeeming effect on those that care for the person in need. Maximo will leave with us a legacy of love, optimism, gentleness and peace. His spirit will always be a part of our home.

Our other children continue to do well. I remain indebted to you for sharing your gifts and enabling this beautiful work to continue. We wish you God's love and peace.

Click here to see some photographs about these and other cases