Pabel Machado Miranda has become accustomed to pain. For the past fifteen years he’s dealt with pain radiating from his left hip. He told us that it was no surprise he was having difficulty walking. He proudly announced that he was a twin and that his twin brother had received a hip placement years early. Pabel said he knew it was only a matter of time until his turn would come too.
Pabel is a civil engineer, a job he loves, but now says that he is chained to his desk. Due to his pain and limited mobility, it’s impossible for him to go out into the field to survey his projects. With his wife Lisa by his side, Pabel told us that he longed to be able to do the simple things in life: tie his own shoes, get dressed in the morning, cross his legs as he sat as his desk, and to be able to go for walks with his wife. He mentioned his love of baseball, something that he hasn’t been able to play since he was a teenager. “To be able to play again, to hit the ball, to run the bases….that is my dream.”
Pabel received his hip replacement on Saturday morning and by Sunday afternoon was ready to return home. During his stay, both he and Lisa made a big impact on the other patients. Both spoke English and helped to interpret instructions and words of encouragement from our volunteers as his fellow patients took their own path to recovery.
As Pabel was getting ready to leave the hospital he wanted each volunteer and donor to know one thing, “The joy and gratitude both my wife and I feel is beyond words. This surgery will change my life.”
