Helping Jackie
Jacqueline is a beautiful child with a sunny disposition. You would never know that her mother died in a car accident when she was one and a half years old and was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of four.
When the FAMA board met Jacqueline in Puerto Vallarta in December 0f 2012, her curvature was at a forty-degree angle. Her father had been taking Jacqueline to the children’s hospital in Guadalajara where they had her wear a correction brace and committed to performing a much need surgery. However, after a full year of taking her to the hospital in Guadalajara, her father became frustrated and disillusioned because the surgery never came to fruition.
FAMA decided to take Jacqueline’s case and following is an account of this journey:
FAMA’s nurse consultant, Gloria Raigoza recommended taking Jacqueline to a Shriners Hospital for Children in Mexico City. FAMA secured an appointment for her on July 19th of 2013, and paid all expenses for Jacqueline and her father. Due to the severity of her scoliosis Jacqueline was accepted.
Shriners Children’s Hospital in Mexico pays all medical expenses, but does not cover travel to and from the hospital. FAMA paid all travel expenses to Mexico City from Puerto Vallarta. The hospital scheduled Jacqueline for an evaluation October of 2013. Her evaluation showed that the curvature was now at a 65-degree angle. However, there were more severe cases ahead of Jacqueline and did not schedule her operation until March 14, 2014.
Jacqueline’s curvature was now at a 90-degree angle, and was causing pressure on vital organs and chest. The doctors performed the surgery as scheduled and strategically placed titanium rods and screws to begin to correct her spinal curvature.
Jacqueline will need ongoing operations until the age of thirteen. Due to the severity of Jacqueline’s scoliosis, she will need to continue going to Shriners Children’s Hospital until the age of eighteen. If she needs further assistance after the age of eighteen, Jacqueline will be referred to doctors outside of Shriners Children’s Hospital.
Jacqueline’s father cannot afford to pay travel expenses to continue the necessary treatments. Therefore, FAMA has committed to continue to support the family. Please help our foundation continue to provide the best quality of life for Jacqueline.
