Marla Daily
Nomad
Posts: 418
Registered: 9-2-2003
Location: Loreto, BCS
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Medivac of little Alexis Amador Murillo
Alexis ?El Valiente?
Oscar Alexis Amador Murillo is 4 years old. He was born in La Paz, B.C.S. on the 7th of March, 1999. When he was about a year old, he began having
medical problems, and was subsequently abandoned in Loreto by his unwed mother. Loretanos Esperanza Lemus Cisneros and Modesto Amador Murillo took him
in with their other children, and have cared for Alexis since then. His medical problems increased, and despite help from various doctors, his
condition worsened. On May 23rd, 2003 one of the Hidden Bay Yacht Club members provided a photograph of Alexis in a very swollen and painful
condition. Local doctors were consulted who welcomed outside specialized help for Alexis if it could be obtained.
After 13 days of phone calls and consultations with authorities on both sides of the border, Alexis and Esperanza were approved for emergency Mexican
passports largely through incredible the efforts of the Mexican Consulate in Oxnard, CA. In Santa Barbara, CA, congressional representative, Lois
Capps, expedited humanitarian visas. On Sunday, June 8th, 2003 Alexis and Esperanza flew, with tickets funded by Hidden Bay Yacht Club, from La Paz to
Tijuana on Aerocalifornia. There, on a Sunday afternoon, they were met by a dozen Mexican officials, (many on their day off), who issued them their
passports and provided ambulance transportation to a waiting private plane flown to Tijuana by volunteers from Aeromedicos, a group of flying doctors
from Santa Barbara. Esperanza and Alexis arrived in Santa Barbara at 6:00 P.M. and were immediately taken to Cottage Hospital.
At Cottage Hospital, Alexis went through a battery of tests, including multiple blood draws, x-rays, and ultrasounds. Despite his swollen and painful
condition, he never complained, and the hospital staff started calling him ?El Valiente.? By 1:00 A.M., the doctors determined he needed a higher
level of care and wanted him immediately transferred to Children?s Hospital Los Angeles. He was driven there, arriving at 02:30 A.M. More tests and
consultations were made until 4:30 A.M., when upon finding that he had no insurance, he was refused admission. They then went to a hotel for a few
hours sleep before going on to their third and final hospital, LAC/USC Women?s and Children?s Hospital in Los Angeles. There, a specialized team of 6
nephrologists determined his condition as nephrotic syndrome, and assigned him a hospital room on the 4th floor where Esperanza could stay with him.
In the first night of treatment, he lost 2 kilos of water weight. By the 3rd day in the hospital, a course of treatment was determined, and he was
allowed to go home to a sponsor family in Santa Barbara. Alexis continued to visit the hospital weekly to monitor his progress, traveling from Santa
Barbara to Los Angeles. On June 23rd, the doctors said he was well enough to go home and continue his treatments though a coordinated effort of two
local doctors in Loreto and LAC/USC Women?s and Children?s Hospital.
After a month in Santa Barbara, Esperanza and Alexis returned to Loreto where he continued to show improvement. Unfortunately, in mid-September his
condition took a turn for the worse and he was hospitalized in La Paz for 10 days. Again in remission, he returned to Loreto where he remains, waiting
for adoption and for his monthly trips to the hospital in La Paz.
Alexis still has a long way to go, and is susceptible to childhood illnesses in his immune-weakened condition. He needs to be closely monitored, and
given medication twice daily. If all goes well, he will be off all medications eventually, and enjoy a normal childhood.
If you are in a position to contribute financially to the case of little Alexis, your contribution in any amount will be of great help. All
contributions are tax-deductible, and both a receipt and an acknowledgement will be sent promptly. Unreimbursed expenses to date total $5916.23. A big
thank you goes to Hidden Bay Yacht Club for their initial contribution of $534.
In Loreto: contributions can be delivered either to Joan Kosinski or Patty Ferrentino
By mail checks payable to: Terra Marine Research & Education [TMRE]
665 Tabor Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Further information & questions email scifmail@west.net
A BIG THANK YOU GOES TO THE FOLLOWING LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE CASE OF OSCAR ALEXIS AMADOR MURILLO OF LORETO WHO WILL TURN 5 ON MARCH 7, 2004!:
Connie Schultz
Hidden Bay Yacht Club
Fernando Gamboa Rosas
Anna Georgina Laguerenne
Eduardo Giles
Conrado
Mexican Consulate, Oxnard
Congresswoman Lois Capps
Senaida Bautista
Santa Barbara, CA office
Min. Marco Antonio Loustaunau, Delegado
Tijuana, Mexico
Leonardo Rodriguez Fonseca
Pedro Walle Rodriguez
Teresa M. Verosky
Tijuana Airport Administration/Immigration
Joan Kosinski, facilitator
Loreto, BCS, Mexico
Mark and Terry Harris, Aeromedicos
Private pilots (private flight fromTijuana to Santa Barbara)
Sergio Guzman, Immigration Supervisor
Otay Mesa, CA
Dr. Steven K. Yao, Emergency
Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara
Dr. Vincent J. Wang, Emergency
Dr. Steven Mittleman, Emergency
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
Dr. Donna Elliott, Director of Pediatric Nephrology
Dr. Colin Dias, Intern
Dr. Salimpour, Resident
Johnny Martinez, RN
Laurie Brooks, Case Worker
LAC/USC Women?s and Children?s Hospital
Kirk Connally & Marla Daily
Santa Barbara, CA (facilitators & U. S. host family)
Jesus and Teresa Ildefonso
Carpenteria, CA (U. S. host family)
Peter Lewis, Aeromedicos
Santa Barbara, CA (transportation Santa Barbara/Los Angeles hospital visits)
Dr. Karen Blumenshine (donation of medicines)
Santa Barbara, CA
Lisa Kay (donation of drugs)
Longs Drugs
Montecito, CA
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4709
Registered: 9-2-2003
Member Is Offline
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God Bless him and all the people involved.Doesn"t it do us all good to see how the good Lord takes care of Little Children.
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Stephanie Jackter
Senior Nomad
Posts: 566
Registered: 11-3-2002
Location: Arizona
Member Is Offline
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Good Luck
I can't afford much, but I'll get a check in the mail. I assume he's the same poor child they couldn't even find a bed for at the hospital in La Paz
cause of all the dengue victims. Sounds like he's got a lot of people pulling for him through the morass of two really screwed up medical systems.
It'll take a lot of love on their part and grit on his to make it through.
Best of luck to all of you who are lending a hand to the little guy. - Stephanie
When the goin' gets tough, the wierd turn pro
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