Background
As many of you know, I am a Music Therapist currently setting up a new project in rural communities in Nicaragua, supporting people with disabilities. During my time here, I have come to know Harry, a 17 year old boy and his mother Francisca from a town in Nicaragua.
Harry's background
Harry was born prematurely and spent 5 months in intensive care for jaundice. After his discharge, he was diagnosed with infantile cerebral palsy with the MRI showing mild cerebrel atrophy. He also suffered with severe repeated pneumonia which resulted in severe bilateral hearing loss at 5 years old and he is also autistic.
Harry's father left and severed contact with him and his mother (Francisca), once Harry's medical conditions started. Francisca has done everything and worked tirelessly as a single mother, to fund therapies all his life such as physiotherapy, speech therapy, hydrotherapy, darkroom therapy and psychological therapies, which has meant Harry was able to learn to walk and currently use hearning aids.
Harry is a wonderful marimba (the national instrument of Nicaragua) and guitar player and he currently teaches music at a school in Estelí. This school provides music, dance and art classes to children with disabilites, where he himself was a student. He is also studying computer engineering.
Francisca is a teacher at the same school, providing specialised support for autistic children. From her personal experience with Harry and training, she provides invaluable support for individuals in a country where understanding and compassion towards autism and disabilities is often very low.
Current situation
Harry is in extreme pain at the moment due to dental complications meaning he has been unable to eat. He is needing an emergency operation on Tuesday 5th November which the healthcare system here does not fully fund.
Francisca has been very hesitant to ask people for money, but the situation has become desperate and she has no means to pay for the operation.
Any amount that you are able to give will be appreciated more than you can imagine. There is extreme poverty here, where people are only just about managing to get by, let alone pay for extra costs that a child with disabilities brings. Francisca and Harry send their huge thank you and blessings.
We will be livestreaming a concert to thank people for their support in the coming weeks.