Epilogue: Why Does Betania Sanchez Waddle Like a Duck? If you only saw Betania Sanchez in a passport photo, you probably wouldn't remember her. The lovely smile on her medium brown face looks nice, but so does that of many other young ladies in the Caribbean. She is quiet and reserved, but that's not unusual either. What's so different? Bend down and put your hands on your ankles. Try moving around. If you get tired after a few minutes, rest by putting them on your knees. Then imagine that you are 22, and that's they way it's been ever since you were a baby! See how long you can walk in that position. Not easy, is it? For most adults in the industrialized world, polio is only a distant memory. If you can remember bobby sox, record hops, and Chubby Checker and Elvis competing for teenage loyalties, you may also remember when polio shots began. For those who don't remember such great days, polio is just something you may have read about in a history bookperhaps not even that. Unfortunately, many of the illnesses and diseases that have been eliminated in the western world have devastatedand continue to devastatein the developing nations. In many places, intestinal worms afflict a majority of the population, and often half of their food intake is sucked up by the parasites. There are lots of other ailments that westerners have never known or have forgotten aboutbut many other hundreds of millions of folks must face them daily. When Betania was six months old, she was diagnosed with polio. Despite the best efforts of those caring for her in La Romana, Dominican Republic or in the capital city of Santo Domingo, she never was able to stand up and walk normally. I first met her in 1998 when, as a non-medical person, I was with visiting medical professionals in Betania's hometown. It a rainy day, but scores of folks were patiently lined up outside the small church where Betania's father is the pastor and I helped monitor the door. Often they waited for hours to see a nurse or doctor, perhaps get a handful of pills, or maybe have a tooth pulled. Then I saw her as she was waddling away, clutching her little bag of pills, and wearing that very pleasant but determined smileand instantly her image was permanently frozen in my mind. A year later, I returned to La Romana with a volunteer medical team from Maine. I announced to a pediatrician that I wanted to take him and an interpreter to see examine Betania. He examined her and concluded that if brought to a major medical center in this country, she probably could be helpeddespite the extensive neurological damage. Two surgeons (on separate visits) gave similar views. When I asked the pediatrician if he could think of a better way of describing Betania's movements than simply "waddling like a duck," he said that was his call as well. If an American youngster had an orthopedic problem, he or she probably would be offered as much special educational assistance as possible. In Betania's case, that wasn't available. Her mom did the best she could in providing home schooling, but it's estimated that Betania received only enough to reach a second or third grade reading level. Betania's intelligence seems normal. I keep Betania's picture handy. Even though her back is permanently bent forward at about a 45- degree angle, I believe that God has a plan for her, and someday she may be able to stand up much straighter and walk much more normally. Another young person in another Dominican town used to have the cruel nickname of "horseboy" because he walked on his hands and feet like an animal. A visiting volunteer orthopedic specialist brought him to Florida for surgery and rehabilitation. CBS-TV's 60 Minutes did a feature story about him. The major one in Life Magazine was entitled "When I Learn to Dance." He did, and I pray that Betania will someday learn to dance for God too. H. Bruce Carr Hbrucecarr@aol.com 23436 North Stockton Drive; Farmington Hills, MI 48336 |
