Pelaya is the 62 year old grandmother of 7 orphan boys. Fifteen years ago she experienced severe back pain but as she lived in a rural area and had no money to spare she was never seen by a doctor. Over the course of 5 years she gradually lost muscle tone and eventually was unable to walk at all. She spent her days in her small two-room house, sitting on a sheepskin on the dirt floor and pulling herself around with her hands.
A month ago Pelaya came to Hospital Diospi Suyana to see if anything could be done to help her. After extensive tests, no physical cause could be found for her paralysis so she was admitted to the hospital ward and began an intensive physical therapy program. After only 1 month of therapy, Pelaya can now stand herself up and is taking her first steps towards full mobility.
Thanks to the generosity of our friends across the world, Pelaya’s hospital bill was covered by Diospi Suyana’s charity fund. She has also received free-of-charge the walking aid pictured in the photo. Even more exciting is that Pelaya attends the chapel service every morning and is hearing about God’s love for her in her mother tongue of Quechua. / Lyndal Maxwell
