Looonnnnng day. Puzzling day. Frustrating day.
When Andrea and her mother came to my office this morning, I asked the mother to tell me the medical history of Andrea. I asked if she was receiving treatment. I asked where. I asked the name of the doctor. The mother said that she goes to Santiago sometimes for shots- on occasions when she has money. She said that the doctor there says that Andrea has an inoperable tumor.
I gave her the option of going to see the US doctors in Puerto Plata. I told her that it was an opportunity, but if she felt she did not want to go, I understood. She opted to go.
So, we are at the hospital and the first doctor team wants to interview the mother and Andrea. At this point, the mother tells an entirely different story....she says that she goes to Santiago every 8 days and has been doing so for months and Andrea has been in treatment for a year and a half. She said that Andrea was diagnosed at 3 months with this cancer. She told the doctor that she works at night in a bar and when asked where Andrea is then, she responded that her daughters babysit her at home.
At this point, I would have assumed that my Spanish was so bad that I didn't understand what the mother told me in the morning, but thank goodness, I had someone else in the office then, a Dominican who agreed to help with translations, if needed. He also accompanied us to the hospital and overheard what the mother told the doctor. It was he who said that he could not believe that she told an entirely different story to the doctors, that she had lied. While being video-ed by the documentary crew, she made herself look like the hero of the story.
After being interviewed, the doctor who specialized in mouth and throat areas came in to examine Andrea. His comment was that he didn't believe she had a tumor at all, but rather it was something with the thyroid. He asked the mother if she had test results and x-ray films. She said yes. He asked her to bring them tomorrow. She said that she can't, that she was busy. He said, okay, bring them on Wednesday. He said that he would work with her doctor here in Santiago.
When we returned to Sosua, I stopped at the office of Manuella to discuss this with her. She knew the situation better than I. She confirmed that the mother had taken Andrea to Santiago only on occasion. She confirmed that the mother did not have a job working in a bar, and she confirmed that Andrea is on the street with the mother at night.
I have learned working with the poor over the years that unless the person I am helping has the same goal in mind that I do, my time and donors' funds will be wasted. After spending my day working on this situation, I believe- as some others have implied - that the mother is not truly interested in getting medical help for Andrea. She seemed resentful that I took her to see these doctors. She showed no appreciation of my time or help. In fact, she showed me no respect.
As the old saying goes.....you can lead a horse to water.....
Sad for the little girl. Sad for all those others who wanted to help Andrea and who also lost time and money. And sad that this mother has lowered herself with such lies.
Now if, by chance, she surprises us by actually dropping off the test results and x-ray films, I will add another chapter to this drama.
Lindsey
