Our story today is about Julia Gonzales Lopez, age 33, and her son Inocente, 4 months, and her 8 year old son Jose. All of her clothes were stolen on their journey from Mexico City, many many days away. They arrived with the clothes on their back. Inocente was scheduled for surgery Friday. Julia has 8 children, from 18 years old to 4 months. The father of her children died one year ago. Her job is making tortillas and she works from 3AM to 3PM, and makes about 200 dollars per month. They all live in a one room house with no indoor kitchen or bath. She has no education. As a child she was the only girl, and youngest child, in a family of 15. At age 11 she ran away from home because of beatings by her father. At 14 she became pregnant; her partner was 35. They never married. “I didn’t love my husband but wanted to get away from home and my father."
We asked her how the other neighbor children respond to Inocente’s cleft lip. They call him a “monster" and “ugly." In Mexico people suggested she simply sell him…apparently children can be bought for $1,000. She says, “It doesn’t matter, I love my kids, my religion supports me, I am both mother and father to them, you have to fight for what you want."
Her 8 year old, Jose is still in the first grade and had never written his name before. As Inocente was getting ready for surgery, we showed Jose, with crayons, how to write his name. We encouraged him and HE DID IT! There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. This one experience was worth the whole trip. Julia could be a bitter or angry woman. I don’t think we have ever met a more positive and upbeat person. She is a miracle. “Nothing gets me down," she said. There is much to learn from Julia.
PS: After approximately a 50 minute surgery, Inocente came out without a cleft lip. His mother and the rest of us were in tears again, and are nearing that spot as we write this. In less than an hour the doctors changed this boy’s life. It is hard to put into words how significant sharing this experience was.
