Adolfo Mamani is an 85-year-old father of two who has worked as a farmer for decades. It is work he is proud of and can perform well. However, about two years ago he completely lost sight in one eye and was losing sight in the other. Adolfo was not only in great pain, but he had trouble completing work tasks which provided for his family’s livelihood.
He was evaluated a year ago and told that surgery would cost $3,000, an amount that neither he nor his family could ever afford to pay. Adolfo had shown up at the hospital in Tarija and stood in line to be treated by the doctors on one of Esperança’s previous surgical missions, but he was not able to be seen due to the huge numbers of people also awaiting evaluation.
Since then, he has asked about and waited for the ophthalmologists to return. Adolfo recalls, “When they gave me the date I said, ‘FINALLY! Finally I will be one of the first on the list! I arrived very early on the day of the appointment, and I was lucky. I thank God for being cared for, and I am very grateful to the doctors who make it possible for American surgeons to come and help us, the poor, who so anxiously anticipate their arrival.”
