A Life Almost Lost to Electrocution, Aldo's Story: Part 1

Sixteen year-old Aldo lives in Buena Vista, but attends school in Santa Lucia. After class with his little brother one day in June of 2017, Aldo decided to get some leaves for his cow to eat before returning home to rest, so he climbed a nearby tree & began chopping some branches with his machete. It was then that his machete made contact with some high voltage wires that were running from a nearby cell tower, and in an instant Aldo’s body was completely fried. It’s a miracle that Aldo survived. By the time he’d made it to a local hospital, emergency measures were taken to save his life. His left arm was amputated – a few days later, his right lower leg was also amputated. Aldo was unrecognizable, unresponsive, and breathing through a ventilator. Doctors were uncertain he would pull through. Shortly after his leg was amputated, he was able to breathe on his own! He finally opened his eyes and recognized his father for the first time since the accident occurred. Aldo’s family was overjoyed that they still had their son, despite what he’d endured and what he would surely have to endure in the years to come. 

In the little village of Buena Vista, if you are disabled in any way (mentally or physically), you are considered an “invalido”…literally, invalid. Even your own family & friends consider you “cursed” – punished by God – and from that point on you’re treated as the town leper where you are ignored, mocked, and cast out. The village can seem such a brutal place, but Aldo’s family has proven themselves supportive & faithful. They are rallying around their son, and brother. They are loving on him, encouraging him, praying for him – and celebrating the bright side of the situation, Aldo’s alive!

Aldo went through a number of life-saving and opposite limb restoration surgeries. He also had a finger amputation on his one remaining hand. Through the generosity and love of many surgeons and other health care workers referred to Aldo through the missionary family he was brought to a better place in his life. This is when David met Aldo.  We provided him with an immediate post-operative style, below-knee prosthesis. We were able to get him up and walk the very first day when he saw him, 2 months post-amputation! He was able to get some physical therapy through an American physical therapist that traveled to Guatemala, and for 6 months Aldo utilized the below knee prostheses successfully in order to help restore some semblance of activity. He continued going to the Christian mission soccer ministry weekly where he was a receiving help from the mission team and soccer players. We have since fit him with a definitive, below-knee prosthesis and Aldo is back into the main stream of life able to leave his home now and interact with other people outside of his home. He has missed nearly one year of school, so he will need to make that up. He will be in 11th grade which will be the last grade in school in Guatemala. 

Thanks to the intervention of many and for the blessing in which we were able to be a part of with Aldo’s prosthetic care, Aldo has a chance at life again. We are fortunate to have been part of this miracle and to have donors in mission financial assistance provided to us to help Aldo in his time of need. We have left the prosthetic appliance and supplies with Aldo when we saw him in January 2018 and told him that we look forward to seeing him playing soccer and riding his motorcycle again later this year. Be blessed!

You can help people just like Aldo with a monthly gift commitment of $25, $50, $100 or more. Trip Costs between $3,000-$5,000. You can Adopt-A-Patient and help make the same impact on their lives! Find out more about the levels of giving & how to get started.