Belize: It Takes a Village

IMG_6177Story by Raj Godavarthi, LEAP Belize Team Member

Osbin is amongst the cutest little boys we saw. He is nearly two years old and lives in Teakettle, Belize.

Good fortune appeared in Osbin’s life in the form of Zaira, a community health worker in Teakettle. Zaira is also a good friend and neighbor of Osbin’s mother, Nailin. When she heard about LEAP, Zaira encouraged Nailin to seek care for her son—who had a cleft palate.

Filled with hope, Nailin made a plan to travel to our location. She left her three other young children with a neighbor and set off for Orange Walk with a friend to help translate.

Five hours and three buses after leaving Teakettle, the tired threesome were in Orange Walk on Friday for intake and screening. They were told that they could be scheduled for surgery on Sunday, which meant they had to spend two nights in Orange Walk.

“I am so thankful to you all and what you made happen,” Zaira told me today. “You not only arranged for Osbin to have surgery but also helped with a place to stay and took care of that biggest expense.”

Zaira, along with many members of Osbin’s family, arrived on Sunday morning for moral support.

It truly took our global “village” for Osbin to be treated by the LEAP team—from a kind soul in Dallas to a community health worker in tiny Teakettle to the neighbor who watched his siblings—it is truly beautiful to see how the stars aligned for this special little boy.