Marcelo and Maria

Marcelo, who is four months old and blind, went home on Friday. He and his sixteen-year-old mother Maria came to CRN five weeks ago, following his two week hospitalization to recover from malnutrition. I don't know the cause of his blindness; local doctors are saying he needs an operation within the next few months in order to save his right eye, and that the left eye is a lost cause. Hoping for a miracle if not a possible mis-diagnosis, I have sent pictures to an ophthalmologist friend in Lexington, hoping that she might have a suggestion or lend some insight into why the medical advice has so far been very inconsistent. Marcelo is a real peach -- good natured and pretty straightforward in communicating his needs: a real stroke of luck, since his mom required some major on-the-job training. Thankfully, Maria rose to the task, learning a lot from being with other mothers and the CRN staff. She and her son are a disarming pair, and I'm looking forward to seeing them both at his first check-up (today!)