A Word from the Head Iguana
Down through the years, there have been so many wonderful experiences in Belize that should have been documented at the time. At the risk of forgetting them, I have begun to jot down some of them. Here is an event that occurred at the end of last year:
Teri and I were in Succotz in October 2023 working on the Main House, trying to get it ready for visitors scheduled for January 24. We had just completed buying several crucial items at Benque Hardware, our go-to store, and were securing the items in the truck bed, when a gentleman introduced himself. His name – Federico Rosado. He was curious about La Paz and told us he is a retired teacher. He and Teri had some stories
to share as I finished securing our purchases, with the help of the store employees.
When talking about La Paz, we inevitably mention the clinic building. Federico’s ears perked up and he asked about our next scheduled clinic. He had a look of disappointment when we told him we had not started the building yet. He said he knew of a young girl near Placencia, a family friend, who had stepped on a fish bone which became lodged deep in her foot. Her family could not afford to see a doctor and the foot
had become severely infected. I told him it would be months before we brought any doctors. I took his email address so we could stay in touch.
Federico and I communicated after Teri and I returned home. I asked him how much the surgery would cost for Daniela’s foot, and he told me about 3,000 Belize dollars ($1,500 US dollars). I decided to poll The Iguana Squad board and asked if they would be willing to fund 2,000 Belize dollars, to which they agreed. I contacted Federico and asked him if the family could come up with the balance. He assured me they could, so we
transferred the money to Federico, who in turn passed it on to Daniela’s family. They immediately made an appointment for surgery and checked Daniela into a hospital in Belmopan.
I received an email from Federico on November 15th, informing us that Daniela was admitted to St. Luke’s for surgery. He sent these photos of Daniela from the hospital after her successful foot surgery:
It is obvious she is not enjoying her visit, but the results will make a big difference in her life
