History of Maria Elena Flores Aurora


Maria Elena Flores Aurora, by Charo Monzon, Project Director, Alto Trujillo Maria Elena Flores Aurora, is a very happy girl 9 years old and eager to learn. We received her at the school located in the ASK Bruce Peru (Mz. Q Lt # 6 B / 5th) Alto Trujillo. Maria came to us in 2014, in October, attending daily, but with very little knowledge, having no prior education at home. Now she attends the first grade. She lives in the Trujillo Alto slums of El Porvenir (Mz. P Lt # 45 B / 4th). She is one of five children to an illiterate single mother. Although very poor, her mother took Maria to all the medical centres she could get to. All with no good results.
On the urging of you, Sra. Ana Teresa, we took up the challenge and went in search of relevant institutions, thus reaching the "Fe y Alegria", located in the Jr: Ollantay # 505- dry Rio / El Porvenir, a residential facility for handicapped children.
After lots of meetings with director Teresa Salcedo, they decided not to receive Maria because she has three physical disabilities as well as some retardation. Maria can barely see and has deformed lower limbs.

Charo, with Maria and her caring mother, ready to set
off on yet another attempt to get help for Maria.
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Then we went to another institution "CEBE SANTA ROSA" Great Chimú- El Porvenir industry, its Director Viviana Morales took us through the same long process as before. Finally agreed that if we get a psychological report and a neurological workup from the Regional Hospital of Bethlehem, Maria might be able to enter CEBE SANTA ROSA in 2016.
Frustrated after not finding definite support for Maria we searched for yet another way.
Maria, Mother and sisters.
We gave the local Mayor the documentation of Maria, in what state she is, he directed us (with the mother). on his introduction, to talk with a medical station which had already turned us down. After a long fight we finally got the document to be served in this centre (SIS), and had an appointment with a physician named Doctor Manuel Castillo Correa. He took much interest in this case and referred us with a reference to Bethlehem Hospital, Trujillo, to be attended by an orthopedic specialist and also he referred us to the Eye Centre named IRO, to check her sight.
Dr. Castillo with Maria.
Good, but not content to rely only on this we went in search of Doctor Eduardo Rojas Hidalgo, orthopedic specialist and surgeon, for diagnosis and second opinion.
NOTE: Heretofore Maria´s mother had believed her daughter came to be so disabled due to difficulties in giving birth to her: ´When her water broke she was alone in her ranchero (the local name for a shelter covered with plastic bags), she sent her eldest child to fetch a neighbor, a medically unqualified but experienced woman, who acted as the local midwife. "It was a breech birth and the neighbor reached in and pulled Maria out, mangling her legs. Also Maria did not draw breath right away".
The mother believed this, also that "it was only by her love for her daughter and her force of will that she got Maria to walk on her deformed legs".
I, Charo, from what I have seen of the mother and daughter together: believed this could be true.

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Cerebral Palsy, however, is the madical diagnosis. This is Maria´s first ever diagnosis.. (September 2015).

A course of physical therapy, leading to the possibility of delicate stem cell surgery.
Maria is now well into her course of therapy, and we are awaiting word on the prospect of surgery.

December 2015 with Dr.Rojas
[Will send a bulletin when we know more on the surgery]