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David, 5 years old, is a fighter and the living example of the innocence and hope of children.
Those who know him describe him as an introvert, who speaks little, but when he becomes confident, he surprises with a sweet smile, and that smile was the one that captivated the medical staff of the Military Hospital in Bogotá.
David, faced a tough test at his short 4-year-old. He lives with his grandmother Otilia Sandoval in the village of Santa Isabel, rural area of Santa Rosa south of Bolívar.
On the morning of September 27, 2019, David was doing the work of the children in the fields, “I was accompanying other children to move the cows through the pastures. No one saw what happened, only the boy’s cry was heard. He had been bitten by a snake“Mrs. Otilia told EL TIEMPO.
According to the peasants in the area, it could be a snake that they call the “rotten”, very toxic and in many cases lethal.
But despite the efforts, they had to amputate his leg, below the knee because it got hooked
“I was not at home at the time, I was working, but they told me. I ran out and when I arrived I saw that the wound was on the right foot,” said Otilia.
According to the minor’s grandmother, the first thing they did was take him to the Santa Rosa medical center, which is a two-hour walk away. “There they gave him first aid and injected him with antivenom serum. A week later they transferred him to Bucaramanga,” he said.
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At the Bucaramanga University Hospital, the doctors and nurses were very attentive to the care of the child, said Otilia, who highlighted that the child complained of a lot of pain. “But despite the efforts, they had to amputate his leg, below the knee because it got hooked“he recalled painfully.
In Bucaramanga, David was hospitalized for a month and returned with crutches to his home in the Santa Isabel village. “Life changed us a lot, he depended a lot, he needed more care, but he adapted quickly to the crutches, but it was all more difficult,” said the grandmother.
United in one cause
A group of soldiers who patrol the area of the Mars Task Force met David, in August, and set out to improve their living conditions.
“A captain contacted a therapist in the amputee area of the Military Hospital and they spoke of the possibility of providing her with medical support. The director of the Hospital, General Clara Galvis was moved by the story and all the permits were arranged to bring it to Bogotá “Dr. Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez, coordinator of the amputee area of the Military Hospital, told this newspaper.
According to the doctor, there were many people who worked for David and his grandmother to settle in the Hospital, which they arrived on November 10.
The objective of the trip: to prepare a prosthesis so that David could walk again.
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“David is the reflection of that distant Colombia. At first he did not allow us to get close to him. He got very angry. But with our love he gave in and became a great collaborator in this process“, assured doctor Gutiérrez.
The first thing, the doctor explained, was to condition the stump – the remaining part of the amputated limb – and do some stretching and strengthening exercises for the muscles of the minor’s lower limbs.
As a second part of the process, samples were taken from the prosthesis mold, “it cannot be loose or tight. We had to take three molds to achieve the perfect assembly of the prosthesis “the doctor pointed out.
The boy returned home this week, but must return every six months for checkups.
César Melgarejo / THE TIME
The doctor explained that when the prosthesis was achieved, he entered the process of learning to walk with it, to take balance and to feel it as his own. When the final prosthesis was left, a Mickey Mouse was painted.
“He really liked it, as did the superheroes. It was a crazy thing, to such an extent that for the night of the children received many costumes as gifts. ´I was very happy“Gutiérrez stressed excitedly.
In the middle of that process, the doctor said, they had a lot of fun seeing how “David was surprised with everyday things. Seeing him play with technology things, his smile and happiness motivated us a lot. Letting him play on the computer while we did tests, it was wonderful, “he said.
In fact, the doctor Gutiérrez recognized that David stole tears from all the personnel, and more so the day he managed to walk by himself.
“This was the work of the entire amputee area of the Hospital, we did it with a lot of love,” said Gutiérrez, who acknowledged that his concern now is the controls, “he is growing, and it is important to see him every six months. He has to be transferred to Bogotá, let’s hope things turn out“.
On Monday, David and his grandmother returned to the south of Bolívar, a new life awaits the boy, who left a very big mark on the Military Hospital: “remind us that united for a good, human beings are unbeatable “.
JUSTICE
