Special Needs Children « Missions Guatemala

Jan 25

Great News From The Coc Family

Guatemala, Humanitarian Outreach, Q'eqchi', Special Needs Children, Wheelchair, missionary

Catherine with Hector & Carmen

We have been blessed to have a strong friendship with Hector and Carmen Coc for many years. We first met them at a patient screening for children with physical impairments in March of 2007. Their daughter Evelin Suleymi was a special needs child who was born with Spinal Bifida and Hydrocephalus. Our ministry helped her receive needed surgeries and a custom wheelchair before she went home to be with Jesus on January 8, 2008. Our involvement with them during a tough time in their lives built a strong bond between our families. When they returned Evelin’s wheelchair to us, Maribel told Carmen about the necessity for a woman to take folic acid several months prior to becoming pregnant to improve the chances of the fetus forming correctly. Before they left, Maribel gave Carmen a huge bottle of folic acid with about a year’s supply. We visited their home with a mission team last August to share a meal with them. At that time, I happened to notice that Carmen had put on some weight and I asked Maribel if she thought that she could be pregnant. Maribel didn’t think so and I didn’t have the nerve to ask. This morning I received a phone call from Hector saying that Carmen gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby girl last night. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness with this family! We are so happy for them and are anxious to see her. Click here to view Evelin Suleymi’s story.

Dec 17

A Perfect Fit

Guatemala, Humanitarian Outreach, Mission Trip, Special Needs Children, Wheelchair, missionary, outreach

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On Monday, November 24th, we went on a long journey that included four hours of driving and about an hour boat ride. The purpose of the trip was to measure a five-year-old Guatemalan girl for a custom wheelchair. Her name is Gina Rodriguez and she lives in Livingston, Guatemala, which is a peninsula on the western edge of the Caribbean Sea.

Gina’s family, as well as the majority of people that live there, are of the Garifuna heritage. The most amazing part of this story is that this chair was actually custom made to fit another little girl. The chair was brought here by our friends from Kaitlin’s Mobility Foundation when they brought a group to Coban in 2007. The little girl who was originally fitted for the chair passed away before it got here, and we had actually had the chair since September of 2007. We had tried on many occasions but we never found the perfect home for the chair until now. When we were contacted by a friend of Gina’s family who found us on the Internet, I had a feeling that God had been saving this wheelchair for her. As you can see in the picture, it was a perfect fit! God knew all along who the chair was being built for.

Jan 8

Update – Evelin Suleymi went home to be with the Lord!

Coban, Guatemala, Humanitarian Outreach, Q'eqchi', Special Needs Children, Wheelchair, missionary

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This article is a continuation click here for the original post.

On January 8, 2008, we received a surprising telephone call from Hector (Evelin’s dad) saying that she had passed away in the early morning hours. This news came as a huge shock to us. He had called us a few weeks before to report that she had mastered her wheelchair and could move it all over their house.

We are currently making plans to spend some time with the family. We had a lot of contact with them last year because of Evelin’s surgeries and the wheelchair that was donated for her. We became very close to Evelin and her family. Please continue to pray for this family and their loss.

Statistically, children that are born with both Hydrocephalus and Spina bifida have less chance of living to be adults unless they are fortunate enough to have surgery at the time of their birth. Evelin was four years old when she was able to have the needed surgeries.

Even though she will be greatly missed here on earth, we are happy to know that she is now in a better place. She will not have to depend on a wheelchair to get around or live with the many challenges caused by her disability.

Sep 15

Special Needs Children’s Update – In God’s perfect timing.

Coban, Guatemala, Humanitarian Outreach, Special Needs Children, Wheelchair, missionary, outreach

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This article is a continuation click here for the original post.

On September 15, 2007 Doug Whitfield and Mike McHargue of Kaitlin’s Mobility Foundation returned to Coban to bless the remaining families with custom wheelchairs that had been planned for June. The Seattle based organization specializes in helping families with the extra challenges required to care for their special needs children. A summer airline embargo kept them from bringing extra baggage filled with wheelchair parts when their whole team was here in June 2007. However, they were determined to see these children get their promised new rides and therefore they returned to make it happen.

On the morning of the fifteenth, we were excited to see that all of the six families were in attendance for the event at a local church. We had confirmed with the families in the days leading up to the activity but we weren’t sure that they would all be able to be there. So, it was a great blessing to see them all there.

If you have been keeping track of our current events, you may recognize little Evelin Suleymi in one of the pictures. She is a little girl who was born with Hydrocephalus and Spina bifida and we were able to help her get some needed surgeries back in the spring of 2007. She had recuperated from her operations and she also got a custom wheelchair as a part of this wonderful outreach. Evelin’s has since passed away, you may access the story here, Evelin Suleymi Coc.

We want to give special thanks to Kaitlin’s Mobility Foundation in Seattle, Washington and anyone else who made it possible for these children and their families to receive a much needed gift. Also, please continue to pray for those who care for special needs children here in Guatemala and everywhere else in the world.

Jul 2

Special Needs Children’s Outreach June 23 – July 2, 2007

Coban, Guatemala, Humanitarian Outreach, Special Needs Children, Wheelchair, missionary, outreach

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This summer, we were privileged to join with “Kaitlin’s Mobility Foundation” to bless many special needs children from the region of Alta Verapaz with donated custom wheelchairs. The organization’s directors, Doug and Carol Whitfield, brought a team from Seattle, WA to help distribute the wheelchairs and teach rehabilitation practices to the families. Their team included two special education teachers, a physical therapist, a registered nurse and a family with many years of experience with special needs children.

Due to an airlines embargo, the team was unable to bring all the wheelchair parts and the other donated items that they collected to bless many families. A decision was made for Doug and Mike to return after the embargo restrictions were lifted to give the donated wheelchairs to the other children. On September 15th, an activity is planned at a local church and the wheelchairs will be given to the remaining families that have been patiently waiting.

These pictures will give you an idea of the many activities that took place during the week. Each family had a session with the nurse and all their children were given vitamins. The special education experts taught the parents how to communicate with their children that are unable to speak. The team was used to help with patient evaluation at a local student center for under privileged children and they held a seminar for local health workers at the church.

The sacrifice of this team will be remembered by many people for years to come because of their willingness to share their talents and expertise. Without compassionate and caring people, these children and their families would never have the luxury of having a wheelchair to help them function.

May 15

Successful Surgery for Evelin

Coban, Guatemala, Humanitarian Outreach, Q'eqchi', Special Needs Children, Wheelchair, missionary, outreach

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On Tuesday, May 15, 2007, the neurologists were able to successfully insert a shunt into the head of Little Evelin Suleymi Coc. They also did surgery on her back to reduce some of the tissue mass that she has due to Spinal Bifida. It was also necessary for her to have another operation on her back and this was completed on Tuesday, May 29th. She recuperated a few additional weeks in the national hospital in Guatemala City where the surgeries were done.

Evelin also is one of the remaining children that will receive a custom wheelchair on September 15th. Doug Whitfield, Co-director of “Kaitlin’s Mobility Foundation’ and Mike McHargue will be returning to Coban to complete the delivery of the donated wheelchairs. Their organization specializes in the care and rehabilitation of many special needs children.

Please continue to keep Evelin and her family in your prayers. Children with hydrocephalus and that have Spina Bifida are a big responsibility and they require lots of attention and care.

Apr 17

April 14-17, 2007 Surgery for Children with Birth Imperfections

Coban, Guatemala, Humanitarian Outreach, Mission Trip, Special Needs Children

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This article is a continuation click here for the original post.

The April 2007 reconstructive surgery team was brought to the regional hospital in Coban Guatemala by Judy Schwank from Children’s Aid Missions. They were prepared to operate on many of the children that came to the screening in March of 2007.

Most of the team members were Americans and a well known Guatemalan plastic surgeon from Guatemala City joined with them to help. Judy asked me to translate in the Operating Room for the last two days of the surgery. I translated between the English speaking team members and Coban Hospital staff. At times it was necessary for the team members to communicate with the hospital staff when they needed supplies and assistance.

The September 2007 surgery team will come to the regional hospital in Coban to operate on the other children with birth imperfections that were screened. Judy and the teams travel to different parts of the country to help many children that need reconstructive surgery. They operate on children that are born with a cleft lip or palate, club feet and Spina bifida etc. They also perform surgery on children that have burn scars or that have been tongue-tied since birth.

It has been a huge blessing to have the opportunity to join with, Judy Schwank and Children’s Aid Missions International, Inc. We were able to help locate children with birth imperfections and lend a hand when we were needed. Children came from the other side of the country to receive their much needed surgery. Without compassionate people that are willing to share their skills and knowledge, these children would never have been able to have this opportunity.

Mar 3

Patient Screening – for Children with Birth Imperfections March 3, 2007

Coban, Guatemala, Humanitarian Outreach, Special Needs Children, missionary

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We were blessed with the opportunity to help find children for an upcoming surgical endeavor. Judy Schwank, RN and Executive Director of Children’s Aid Missions International, Inc. came to Coban and led a patient screening for up coming surgeries.

Judy has teams of surgeons that will be coming to Guatemala in April and September of 2007. They will be performing surgeries in different parts of the country for children born with cleft lip or palate, club feet and spinal bifida etc. Also, they will be operating on children who have burn scars or who have been tongue-tied since birth.

Judy asked us to set up and help coordinate a patient screening in Coban to see what kind of response we might get. Together with a local area church, we put the word out all over the region of Alta Verapaz. God blessed us with a huge turnout as there were people lined up waiting for the church to open that morning. Please pray for the logistics of these activities to go smoothly so that many Guatemala children can be blessed with much needed surgeries.

Great News From The Coc Family

A Perfect Fit

Update – Evelin Suleymi went home to be with the Lord!

Special Needs Children’s Update – In God’s perfect timing.

Special Needs Children’s Outreach June 23 – July 2, 2007

Successful Surgery for Evelin

April 14-17, 2007 Surgery for Children with Birth Imperfections

Patient Screening – for Children with Birth Imperfections March 3, 2007

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