A Letter From Yahaira Celi

Hello, my name is Yahaira Celi, I am from Ecuador and 20 years old.

My story began like this: I have congenital hip dysplasia. Until the age of 10 I wasn’t bothered by it but with growing age I started to feel complications like pain in the hip that got worse over time, fatigue and often loss of mobility in my left leg. I couldn’t do many everyday activities like stand, walk or run for longer periods of time.

Since I was very young my mother had been trying to find a solution for my problem, we saw different doctors in our country, but all intentions failed because they told us that the operation was so complicated that nobody in our country was able to do it. Furthermore the cost would be approximately $45,000 and that was out of our financial reach. We also contacted several foundations but there are very few that benefit this cause. And so time went by without any resolve, until a few months ago I heard family members talk about Dr. Avila and the team of foreign doctors that comes to our country to do exactly the kind of surgery that in need and best of all that it wouldn’t cost anything!

I didn’t hesitate one second to try and find Dr. Avila, until I reached him over the phone and told him about my problem and discomfort. He told me to send him my x-rays to take a look and I did. I was really emotional because I had found a new reason for hope. Hope that I had been searching for many years, the fact that Dr. Avila had received my x-rays signified great progress.

For the last months I have been in contact with the doctor asking him about my case and about the arrival of the team of doctors from abroad. 20 days ago I got the response that they would be able to operate on me and gave me the date to see the doctors. This message made me so emotional, I just couldn’t believe it! So I kept asking Dr. Avila: ” Doctor, are you sure you’re not lying to me?” To which he answered: “No, Yahaira, this is not a joke, you will have the operation, they are waiting for you on the day of your appointment.”

It is hard to explain what I felt that day, but they were mixed emotions, between joy, nerves and tears of happiness because now my dream of surgery was becoming a reality.

When the day of my appointment with the doctors came and I can say that it went every well and that these doctors are not only great professionals but more than that they are human beings with a great heart.

I know that it wouldn’t be possible for the team to realize these operations without the people that support this noble cause and I want to thank the team and all the people that make these operations possible.

Today my dream came true, tomorrow other people will be the beneficiaries of your great help.

Thanks for you help and I hope that you will continue with your immense work that is so important for us, the people with scarce resources.

I thank you 1000 times and may God bless you always!