Friends and Family,
We have been back from Nicaragua for nearly a week and wanted to share an update with you about Jason Betancourt and the work we were able to do with he and his family. For those of you not familiar with this story I will attach a link below and I invite you to check it out and follow as this small story continues to unfold. For those of you who have been and also those who have contributed, thank you. We could not have been as helpful and effective without your help.
We arrived in Managua and left the next day in search of Jason and his mother. Her phone was stolen a month ago and although she was expecting us, she wasn’t sure when we would actually arrive. We drove to Tipitapa and despite the lack of street signs and paved roads we stumbled upon their humble dwelling. Jadira and Jason weren’t there but we were able to speak with her sister in law and get her new phone number. We then drove to Masaya to see if we could find she and Jason and as luck would have it, we found them both there, exactly where we had met one year prior. We talked for a few and made plans to come to her house early the next day so as to spend an entire day with she and Jason. She then boarded a bus with Jason in her arms, the way she does anytime she has somewhere to go, and rode back to Tipitapa.
We got there at 8 the next morning. Jadira invited us in and we met her mother, Maria Luisa, who lives in a one-room house on the same lot. Maria has severe cataracts and also diabetes which has caused her to lose one of her legs. She then took us back to the one-room house where she, Jason and his twin brother Jasir live. Jason was asleep on the bed. It was really something to get to be there with them after many months of planning and thinking about seeing them again. I looked around the room, the dirt floors, the cinder block unfinished walls that extend upward only to 4 feet with black plastic extending the rest of the way to the top, the corrugated metal roof that lets in daylight and rain in certain places and the electricity that comes in via wire spliced together every few feet and wrapped up with pieces of trash bag. These conditions aren’t too uncommon in certain parts of the world but they are still pretty hard to be okay with when there is a special needs child living in them.
Jadira shared with us more of Jason’s medical history and what future plans and options he has. He had a surgery in Oklahoma City when he was almost two. A shunt was inserted which is essentially a tube that goes from his skull down through his torso and into his abdomen, allowing the build-up of fluid in his brain to drain and pass through his digestive system. Having just turned 10, Jason is a year away from being mature enough to receive a new and larger shunt through surgery. Where the surgery will take place and how the procedure and new shunt will be afforded is yet to be seen.
After visiting for a while, getting comfortable and finding out more about their daily life were we were able to offer Jadira the donations we had collectively raised. She was really grateful and we were reminded how a small amount over here can translate to a large amount in other places. We wanted to make sure you all know where your prayers and contributions are going. First and foremost, they now have a small purse set up in a local bank which will be available as they need food, clothes, medicine, household supplies, etc. Due to Jason's condition which requires around the clock care, Jadira is unable to work and provide most of these things without offerings from strangers she meets in the market. She will now be able to keep Jason at home for the next little while and catch up on time with family and living improvements. They will also now be able to complete the walls on their house and do other repairs so as to keep them safe from the elements, both natural and human. She told us there was a gun battle in the streets a month or two ago and because half of their walls are only a thin plastic sheet she and her family never feel safe in the house. Also, wet season has just begun in Nicaragua and with the roof repaired she and her boys should be able to stay dry and somewhat comfortable as the rains come daily. As these improvements are made and we receive updates, Aaron and I will share them with you all.
There have been moments since this journey began that I have questioned how big of a difference this would make- how much sense it made to throw ourselves into something that seemingly only benefited a few. We decided to do it anyway. We do hope to grow and in the future position ourselves in such a way as to be of service to larger groups of people and causes. For now, we like what we are doing for this family, the thought that it may remind others to do the same and are grateful for all we have learned about how these matters work.
To anyone who sacrificed your time or money to contribute to this cause, the Betancourts thank you and so do we. Our hope is to continue to circulate this story and get in the hands of the right people, namely surgeons or other experienced helpers that can help make the surgery happen when the day comes. We welcome all input and suggestions regarding this. This is ultimately the whole idea that we are learning about and hoping that after achieving some success with, that we can pass on to others and empower and encourage them to do the same. The idea that one or two people fueled by a desire to help, the kindness of others and the powerful tool of social media, can affect change. Many of us think these matters lie best in the hands of the educated, experienced and wealthy but there are opportunities to help and serve everywhere. Literally, everywhere. We challenge you to look around and also within yourself and jump on one of them. You can’t go wrong doing right.
Any further questions, suggestions or encouragement can be sent to me at dylan@dylanhollingsworth.com or Aaron at apage@bigdigi.net. More about this project and what Aaron and i are doing can be found at http://theaffect.net/.
P.S. Many thanks to Cynthia and Dean Hollingsworth for joining in on this trip to translate and provide moral support.
Maria Luisa and Jasir greeting us us upon our arrival.
Jason receives his morning bath from well water in the yard outside of their home. I don't like baths either.
Jason and Jasir's baby pictures taken at one week and one year.
Jadira feeding Jason as Jasir looks on in the doorway. Jadira says she doesn't feel her other son gets enough of her time.
The family's single source of water for both houses.
The incomplete room the three of them share. You can see Jason laughing and smiling in this photograph as his mother whispers something familiar to him.
Jason and Jasir turned 10 a few days before we arrived and this puppy was a gift for them on their birthday.
I gave Jadira a quick break and held Jason for a few. Within a few minutes i needed help with him and i had a new found respect for Jadira and her grit.
Jasir watches television, oblivious to what is going on around him, like any other child his age.
Jason wakes from a midday nap on his mother's bed. He hears and occasionally laughs, but does not speak.
Maria Luisa and her broken prosthetic which is being held together by tape. We are working on getting her a new one. Help is welcomed.
The outside of Jason, Jasir and Jadira's home, soon to be made over.
Jason and Jadira in the doorway of Maria's home. Their dog serves as their only agressive form of protection and security.
The wiring system they have left alot to be desired and the lights flicker when a phone is plugged in to charge..
After a walk to the main road, Jason and Jadira must ride a bus to get anywhere they need to go.
The nearest bank where Jadira now has a small account.
Xrays from a past hospitalization.
Mother, son and pup sitting and playing for a few. The sun sets on the other side of town as well.