Looking out the window, the countryside flashes in front of her. Antonia gets further and further from her home, her parents, her sister, and her children. Taking this ride carries her nine hours away from her childhood home. Finga Pilar. A remote town in the mountains of Guatemala, it is all she has ever known. Now, three buses and a motorcycle ride later, she arrives in Antigua at Hospital Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro. Perhaps she has come on a long-shot, but her faith and determination to provide for her family has propelled her to take this leap of faith.
At just 37, Antonia is the mother of two children, a daughter and son, aged 19 and 17 respectively, and one of two bread winners in her household. Although once married, her husband left 14 years ago, siting her inability to keep up with him and their growing family due to a congenital hip deformity she has endured since birth. Unable to afford a divorce, she watched her husband leave their shared home and their children. Antonia moved back into her childhood home, where she and her father provide for her children, her mother, and her sister.
Antonia took on nannying, cooking, cleaning, and laundry for local households. She often tended to five or more neighbors’ needs, supplementing the income that her father brought in as a local farmer. As the years passed, the pain in her hip began to increase. Childbirth, continued stress and wear began to take its toll. Often, Antonia could barely rouse herself from bed, but knew that she needed to work through the pain, limping from house to house, to make sure her family had food, clothing, and shelter.
This June, the pain overwhelmed her. She had to stop working and did not know what the future would hold. In an amazing turn of fate, she met a woman near her village who had received surgery at Obras. She encouraged Antonia to reach out to the Hospital and apply for Operation Walk. In an act of desperation, she sent in her information and was cleared to attend screening day.
Alone, nervous, and a bit shy, Antonia arrived at Obras on August 21st for patient screening. She ran the gauntlet of COVID testing, patient screening, and waited over seven hours to see if she would be approved for hip replacement surgery.
I remember Antonia distinctly. She walked in cautiously but with resolve. She was the first patient to be examined by Dr. Paul Gilbert and he called me over immediately. “This is a story we need to tell,” he told me emphatically. “This is a young woman whose life can be changed by a single surgery.” He went on to reassure her that she was a good candidate and with surgery, could walk free from pain and without additional surgery well into her sixties. When I looked at Antonia, I saw both relief and wonder pass across her face.
Antonia received her hip replacement on our last day of surgery. She was one of our last patients so she had to wait until the next morning for her first round of physical therapy. After receiving a dressing change, she anxiously awaited her turn to stand and try out her new hip. When that chance came, she passed with flying colors. With a large smile on her face, she stood for the first time and then walked out into the breezeway. Soon our OR teams began to arrive and she was able to personally greet Dr. Kumar and the team who gave her a second chance in life on her own two feet.
She wanted to leave these parting thoughts and let you know just how grateful she is to receive this priceless gift:
“I am extremely thankful for all of the team. Everyone was kind, caring, and nurturing. God loves you all and his blessing shine down on you. I will never forget everything you have done for me. I want to go back to work, support and give back to my family, and hopefully someday have more children. Thank you for everything, I will move forward in the direction that God intends.”