Jun 29, 2009 6:06 pm US/Eastern
Volunteer Nurses Give Gift Of Hearing To Young Boy
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
A mission of mercy to help a young boy hear the world around him ended up changing the lives of all of those involved.
It all began when several South Florida nurses, who volunteer on medical missions to third world countries, discovered the boy, who had been deaf from birth in Honduras. The nurses learned that the only way they would be able to help him is if they could bring him to the U.S. After convincing the boy's mother to let him go, they set wheels in motion that would have a dramatic change on his life.
"Hola, hola," mutters Luis Betancourth.
These were the first words the eight year-old boy spoke after receiving surgery that allowed him to hear. "Mama" is another word he says often. For Luis and the three nurses who have become known has his American moms, it has been an emotional journey.
One of his 'moms', Linda Mendelson, is from Miami; the other two, Jeannie Teter and Judy Craig, are from Stuart.
Craig said while they do certain procedures while on their medical missions, Luis's cochlear implants couldn't be done on location. So the nurses, working with 'Light of the World Charities' convinced Luis's mom, Guadalupe, to let them take her son for about seven months to South Florida to have surgery and live with them during the recovery.
"How did you convince his mom to let him leave Honduras with strangers," asked
CBS4 News anchor and reporter
Cynthia Demos.
"It was very easy. The mom wanted her son to hear so badly she trusted Jeannie and I to take her eight year-old," said Mendelson
The hearing device was donated by Advanced Bionics and a doctor at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami donated his services. The procedure should've cost $100 thousand but these women pulled it off for $15 thousand, which they raised themselves.
"It makes me feel good," said Teter, "It makes me feel good."
It makes the boy's mom in Honduras feel great too. They communicate via Skype. His mom speaks to him in Spanish and he utters words back and blows kisses.
Seeing the results of their efforts is beyond satisfying to all of Luis's American moms, who say they got involved with program to make a real difference.
"I lost my son," said Mendelson. "After that I decided I knew I had to do something meaningful because the pain was overwhelming."
Mendelson's son, Jaryd, died of a prescription drug overdose in December 2007.
"When Luis sees a picture of Jaryd he points to the sky cause he knows Jaryd is in heaven," said Mendelson.
For Teter it was the death of her husband that led her to help.
"I was here, he wasn't. There was a reason I was supposed to be doing something," said Teter.
For Craig, it was simply that her kids were grown and she wanted to be involved.
All the women agree they may have given this little boy with a twinkle in his eye and a precious smile with dimples the gift of hearing but he's given them so much more.
Mendelson said, "Luis has done more for us than we could have possibly done for him."
Luis's mom just got her visa and is set to fly into Miami on Tuesday for a visit to see her son in person. It will be her first visit with him since the implant surgery.
A fourth American mom involved in Luis's story was not available for an interview.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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