Esperanza has been working in the village of Flores, Honduras since February 2002. Over the years, we have been involved with many projects and individual cases. One of our dreams has been to build a playground…a safe place for children to play and be happy. This dream has now become a reality thanks to the financial donation from Pilgrim Congregational UCC Church in Lexington, MA, Presidente Luis Inestroza and the entire Patranato Board in Flores, and Ms. Diana Fuentes who facilitated the project.

Pilgrim Church has been actively involved in Flores for many years by sending volunteers, providing financial support and material goods. The community of Flores recently elected a new Patranato Board (similar to a Board of Selectmen) and they have proven to be a dedicated, hard working group of individuals committed to improving their community in a transparent manner. Never before have we worked with people more insightful, supportive and appreciative of our involvement.

The playground was installed last weekend, and Diana reported, “the kids went crazy playing!” We look forward to expanding this playground, and working on other projects with the Patranato Board to bring “hope” to this community and offer their residents the opportunity to see their own dreams come true.

It’s been two days since we returned from a three week trip to Honduras, and I’m beginning to adjust to life here. This time our return flight was cancelled, we switched airlines last minute and connected in Atlanta instead of Miami. Have to admit, it was easier entering the States this way…less chaotic, and not the same slap of reality.

I wish I could have taken the time and had the energy to write while I was away, but I really do “live in the moment” while I am there, and spend little time thinking about life “back home.” It’s too bad because I’m often in the midst of intense feelings and perhaps I would be better at conveying it then, but here goes.

There’s no way to sum up our trip in a few paragraphs but I’ll re-cap one experience. My first thought is the night we had an emergency at our home. I was getting the kids ready for bed, when I heard Mita Gomez (our new Honduran coordinator) yelling my name outside our locked gate. I ran to the door and saw Mita, her husband and a young couple with a toddler in their arms. The child was in a seizure, non responsive and they were looking for Tom (a pediatrician). As Tom checked the little girl’s heart and was relieved to find her breathing, I ran next door to our neighbor, “Patricia” who is a Honduran doctor.

I will never forget the sight of this child (rigid and staring blankly) or the shear panic of her parents, especially her step-dad who was drenched in sweat, praying his heart out, pleading with us not to let their child die.  Patricia gave her an injection (standard Honduran protocol) , we tried to calm the parents down, handed Mita some money (for gas and medication), and off her husband sped to the hospital.

As they arrived at the E.R. the child’s seizure continued, they had to wait in line with the mass of people and when they were eventually seen by the doctors they were informed there was no medication, they would spend the night and when they came up with the money some exams would be done. Despite the mother’s offer to give us their home (pictured above) in exchange for help with medical care, we assured her it wasn’t necessary.The next obstacle was finding people to donate blood…determining a match and convincing people to give.  This little girl remained in the hospital for the next two weeks, and since then, moved to a hospital in the capitol. We are still following her case from a distance.

It was a stark reminder of many things…living in poverty and not having the means to purchase medicine or have transportation in an emergency, life in the third world with inadequate medical care and non existent medicine. These feelings resonate with me as I return to the U.S.A., and try to be patient when I hear people complaining about the most inconsequential things…and remember, I am the “fortunate” one for having the opportunity to experience life elsewhere and gain a different perspective. I hope others will have this chance.

Last summer three high school students, Nora Bradford, Katherine George and Savanah Hacobian volunteered their time with Esperanza-Hope for the Children, Inc. The girls lived in the village of Flores and quickly immersed themselves in the community, a stark contrast to their homes in Lexington, MA. Each day they would walk to the nearby spigots to gather our daily potable water. Passing chickens, bulls, and donkeys along their route became the norm.

During the week they had the opportunity to visit many homes, schools, and medical facilities and witness first hand the harsh realities of living in poverty…a lack of food, clothing, school materials and medical supplies. It can be rather overwhelming emotionally when you see the endless need of so many people.

Throughout their visit, the girls befriended many people during their time playing soccer, making crafts, teaching computers and more. After spending a week their friendships really deepened and they chose two boys who they would help in an impactful way. For one they purchased a horse which will not only offer him a form of transportation, it will help with his work as a farmer, something he does along with attending school. For the other boy, they are helping him to build his own house. He currently lives with his grandparents but is motivated to be independent and works as a day laborer.

After returning home, Nora printed and sold many of her beautiful pictures, donating an additional $320.00 to their house building project. We are very proud of these motivated and generous teenagers who are making this world a brighter place, and certainly made a lasting impact on the boys’ futures.

Thank you all.

Three weeks from now we will be in Flores, Honduras. As the time draws closer, we are actively soliciting donations from others including medications, dental supplies, school supplies, clothing and footwear.

I cannot adequately express the feeling I receive from other people’s generosity. Individuals and organizations who abundantly give to others in need, despite the fact they will never be able to personally meet them. Perhaps they are following the advice of John Bunyan who once said, “you have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”

One recent Friday afternoon the UPS truck arrived to our home. It’s always fun to see the truck pull into the driveway with a delivery but this drop off was huge. Several large boxes containing over $31,000 of free medication arrived from Brother’s Brother Foundation. It was as though Christmas had arrived early and excitedly I unpacked everything to reduce the extra packaging and minimize the weight in our luggage. My thoughts rushed back and forth between this wonderful organization who has supported Esperanza (and countless other nonprofits) over the years, and our Honduran neighbors and local health center that will benefit from their gifts.

Last week a friend from church who is an executive at Staples presented us with their yearly donation of school supplies. Once again, that energizing feeling returned as I thought “there are so many caring people in this world.” I look forward to seeing the children’s faces as they open up a brand new box of crayons or colored pencils. Not only will they treasure their new school supplies, they will also be reminded that people living far away from them, care.

Yesterday, the delivery truck was back once again. This time a box from Global Grins had arrived containing 100 toothbrushes. Our local dentist has kept us well stocked with toothpaste for many years but we are often in need of toothbrushes, and this organization came through just in time! In Honduras, very few have the opportunity to visit a dentist so prevention is all the more important.

To each and every one who has shared your own generosity, we thank you all.

Earlier this year I had written about a young man named “Denis” who was suffering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Tom and I had been introduced to him last November and he was gravely ill at the time. GBS is a disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your peripheral nervous system. It’s a rare disease which affects only 1-2 people in 100,000.

Prior to the onset of his illness, Denis was a healthy young man and avid soccer player. When he began exhibiting signs of tingling and weakness in his lower body and then life threatening complications of difficulty breathing and swallowing, he was hospitalized in Tegucigalpa.

Denis’ health was rapidly declining…the numbness and pain spread throughout his body. The doctors needed to perform a tracheostomy to lessen the work of breathing because his respiratory muscles were so weak. They also had to insert a feeding tube because he was unable to swallow.

Following his hospitalization, he returned home to his devoted mother and large support system of family and friends. Denis remained dependent on oxygen and required expensive medication. Although the family managed to raise some money, they fell short and turned to Esperanza for financial support.

Nine months past before I returned to see Denis and was thrilled to witness the improvement he had made! No longer was he lying in bed; he happily greeted me riding his bicycle! Denis continues with physical therapy, taking vitamins and actively trying to gain weight.

Although he isn’t back on the soccer field yet, I told him I expected to see him there when we return this fall. Best of luck with your continued recovery.

This summer two of Esperanza’s ongoing medical patients, 11 year old Noel and 8 year old Astrid had the opportunity to be with us for 6 weeks. There is a great deal of coordination and efforts made by many people to allow these children to receive the necessary care.

The first step is arranging their medical appointments with Tufts Medical Center in Boston and Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield. For the past 7 years, The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation has generously provided financial support which paid for Noel’s open heart surgery and all the follow up care and evaluations. He is currently living without a valve and is closely monitored for change in symptoms which would indicate the need for another operation. Astrid has been receiving free care from Shriners Hospital since she was 2 years old. She was born with  “lipomeningocele” which is a condition involving the spinal cord that required an operation to resect and detether it. She has also been  operated on multiple times on her left “cavus” foot. This summer, she was suffering from pain on the dorsom of her right foot and was fit for an “ankle-foot orthosis” (brace) which she will need to wear every day, and it is recommended she be seen in 6 months.

Ana Hernandez spent countless hours working with their families to obtain a new visa for Astrid and helping them to obtain the necessary legal documents for the children to leave the country. She also coordinated their transportation to the airport and assisted with the Imigration official and airline ambassador. Ana’s expertise has benefited so many of Esperanza’s patients.

Wayne Lee from American Airlines International Children’s Medical Escort Program arranged the scheduling for 2 volunteers, Cynthia Banker and Paula Rushworth, who escorted the children from Tegucigalpa, Honduras to Miami, FL and then onto Boston, MA.

We’re thankful for the ongoing support from Pilgrim Congregational Church in Lexington, MA and Nancy and Charlie Morrison of Concord, MA. They paid for the airline tickets to make this trip possible.

Lastly, to all our family and friends who have welcomed Noel and Astrid into your own lives, we are forever grateful for your love, involvement and support.

Dr. Tom and Emily Collins first traveled to Honduras in February 2001 with a group from their church, Pilgrim Congregational UCC, in Lexington, MA. They returned to volunteer the following year in a village called Flores, with two other churches (St. Brigids and Sacred Heart) from Lexington, MA. They felt a strong bond with this village and were committed to making a difference for the approximate 6,000 residents.

Tom and Emily continued returning to Flores each year and began focusing their efforts on improving medical and educational opportunities. Their church continued to offer generous financial assistance, but they saw limitless possibilities if they could raise more funds.

Thankfully, in January 2006, Bob Kimball Esq. stepped in to provide his professional expertise in establishing Esperanza-Hope for the Children, Inc. as a 501 (c) (3) corporation. Bob’s dedication has enabled Esperanza to grow over the past seven years and as a result, countless children’s lives have been significantly improved.

Not only has Bob provided all of the legal work free of charge, he has also been directly involved with the patients who have traveled to Boston for medical treatment. The children affectionately call him “Tio (Uncle) Bob”, and one child included him in a school project which asked the children to create a picture book of their family members.

Esperanza appreciates all of Bob’s involvement over the years…we wouldn’t be here without him!