J. R. No. 2


A full week after the successful harelip repair was conducted on J. R. (the subject of a previous article that was posted on this page), the missus accompanied the patient and her mother to the hospital for the post-operation check-up. On board the van that took them to Tagbilaran include the town’s first lady who casually asked why she is going to the island’s only city. She matter-of-factly pointed to the young tyke who was born a harelip and now sporting a new face and whom she is accompanying for the needed check-up at the hospital.

Fe, that’s the name of the town’s first lady, mentioned that she also has a hired help who works as driver and who has a son with a congenital harelip, and that she, together with the town’s physician had already referred him to the provincial hospital for the needed harelip repair but to no avail. She therefore asked the missus if she could help. Her reply was that she will try and would she therefore be kind enough to instruct her driver to refer the couple and their child to us the next day so that they can be interviewed and the child’s condition properly checked for the needed referral?

Upon her return to our residence that afternoon she updated me on the very excellent progress of the child and also of the request of the town mayor’s first lady. True enough Rolando and Elena Boysillo, the parents of the would-be patient were at our doorsteps the next day taking along with them their seven-month old son named Roland. I mused, what a neat way of naming a child, all the father did was omit the “o”, and presto, the son has a name that is pretty much the same as his which is spelled Rolando. Better than what the word “Junior” can do!! And hey!, he and the attending physician are both named Roland!!

We then contacted Darin Goertzen of the Christian Service International who said that the needed referral will be issued soonest we meet. So on March 2nd, the day following the installation of the officers of Dagohoy Lodge No 84 which we attended, we went to his house and got what we wanted.

But the operation could not be scheduled by the attending physician. Ronald had a whooping cough and Dr. Ramiro was afraid the harelip repair could create medical complications The operation was therefore postponed two weeks with specific instructions that medical attention be secured from a competent physician at Guindulman town to insure that the ailment is healed before the operation can be done.

Two weeks elapsed but the boy’s condition did not improve and so it was postponed for another week. And another week; and still another week. Me and the missus felt agitated. Something or somebody is trying to derail our apostolic intentions, we mused. But we fully knew patience and perseverance are on our side.

Until finally, on April 10 the missus, the patient and his parents again went to Tagbilaran City for the needed medical attention and through the competent services of the Ramiro Community Hospital under the able hands of Dr. Ronald Ramiro, the harelip repair was finally performed to the now handsome young tyke.

As of this writing, the boy is now on his road to recovery and with the town’s first lady sending notice that a third harelip patient is again toeing the operating table.

And of course, me and the missus consider this apostolic deed as definitely worth our sweet and leisurely time!!