Mission Moment: June 6, 2012
While waiting for funds to rescue Saintela, the Haitian woman with a large tumor in her mouth [see April 9 below], another medical emergency arose. Pastor Emilio (“Blanco”) Setoute of the church at Jimani has been extremely ill since early May. Missionary Miguel Rubén Guante took Blanco to the hospital in Santo Domingo for tests.
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Pastor “Blanco” before going to the hospital.
“It sounds like Blanco has hyperthyroidism,” said Dr. Steve Quakenbush of Cañon City, CO, USA, who has served on five Mission: Haiti expeditions. “He will probably need a thyroidectomy and/or need to be placed on medication to ‘kill’ his thyroid. He will then eventually need to be placed on thyroid replacement medication, which is fortunately very inexpensive in the U.S. He will probably need a radioactive iodine uptake scan which is moderately expensive. The worse scenario is that he has thyroid cancer. Pastor Blanco is a good man and we will help in any way that we can.”
Dr. Steve’s church, First United Methodist, which has been raising support for the construction of the church building in the Dominican border town of Jimani, contributed US$500 for Blanco’s tests. More is needed.
If you would like to donate to help pay for Blanco’s medical expenses, send your gift to Climbing For Christ, c/o “Blanco Aid,” P.O. Box 16290, Rochester, NY 14616-02990. You can also contribute to the “Rescuing Saintela” fund. We have about US$500 for both medical emergencies.
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