Hello,
Another brief update on Zoe, the 8-month-old baby that was taken to the hospital.
Zoe’s situation hasn’t changed much in the past week. The diagnosis of cancer was premature. Doctors are not sure if there is a viral or bacterial infection that has caused the mass on the brain stem, or if it’s cancer. They are still waiting to get an MRI, but also for her health to stabilize a bit more so they can send her to a hospital that has MRI capability. There are a lot of factors being weighed together.
In the meantime, they are apparently treating her for the possibility of bacterial infection, and trying to get her swelling down. She is out of the ICU, thankfully, and is awake, though her responsiveness isn’t fully there. (I saw her on live video call a few hours ago.) Last night she almost went back to ICU because of breathing problems. (She now has a breathing tube.) Again, they want to get her to be able to be robust enough to endure the travel to another hospital for the MRI.
The local fundraiser activities continue, folks are selling tickets. The raffle will be here in the pueblo on August 20. I still have plans to soon set up a fundraiser to join with these efforts, and you will be invited at that time to consider joining in with the community to support Zoe and her family. I am waiting a little bit to see how the needs unfold. I will send updates, and certainly invitations when the fundraiser is ready.
There is a lot more to update about, from the spiritual to the intercultural, from medical support and funding support in Chontal. I am trying to finish my retreat before jumping into bigger things (I’m spending parts of the mornings in retreat, and the rest of the day in other activities, so it’s getting drawn out.) Your prayer and other spiritual offerings are appreciated
-Jerome