Noel Lloyd saying hello from the Dominican Republic.

Today, the CURE DR Documentary Team headed out to La Vega, a town about 65 miles northwest of Santo Domingo.  We visited two boys who have been treated by CURE’s hospital in Santo Domingo:  Brandy (age 2) and Esteban (age 12).

You might remember the story of Brandy.  We posted it on the blog a while ago.  Now, his casts are off, and he’s beginning to walk!

After we spent time at the homes of both boys, I thought about what we had seen and heard.  The thing that really struck me was the importance of family to both of these boys.

In the cases of both Brandy and Esteban, it was an extended family member who first found out about the CURE hospital.

Brandy’s family has helped his grandmother and mother through every step of his medical treatment at CURE, including finances and transportation.  In fact, on visiting Brandy’s home, we met his aunts, uncles and cousins. Many of them live right next door. It was truly a family affair.

Brandy with (left to right) his grandmother, Damian, CURE translator, and his mother

The same was true at Esteban’s house.  We were introduced to three or four uncles who suddenly showed up from behind the house.  As we interviewed him (He had a knee corrected at the CURE hospital.), his huge family watched.  Afterward, a bunch of his younger family members gathered in the street to play an impromptu game of baseball as the adults looked on and cheered.  Esteban had lost his father a few years ago.  But he was never without a father figure.  Others in the family stepped in to make sure he always had love and support.

Esteban (wearing a blue shirt holding a baseball) and his family

Both of these boys are now on their way to walking because of CURE International, but I don’t know if they would have had that chance to come to us if it wasn’t for their extended families.

Another great and inspiring day.

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