My problem started in 1982, when I was sixteen years old. At school, one day, I overheard my friends at school whispering, “Look at how Brasta is walking.” My friends call me Brasta. I went home, looked in the mirror, and noticed how one shoulder was slouched much lower than the other. My mother started taking me to doctors to find out what was wrong. Doctors said I was born that way, and nothing could be done. We didn’t accept that prognosis. Somehow, my mom got connected with Dai Norris, who works with the Belize Children’s Project. That is also when I met Gene Verdu.

Initially, I was supposed to visit Shriners hospital in 1982, but it got postponed until the next  year. One more year, and I wouldn’t have qualified for the program. You must be seventeen years old or younger. So, we went to the US, through New Orleans, on the first trip. I’ll never forget how friendly the staff at Delta Airlines was. When I arrived in St. Louis, I was introduced to our host family, Eve and Bill Smith. They were so nice. With my darker skin, at first, it took me some time to “blend in.” But thanks to them, it didn’t take long. They enrolled me at Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis. They also took me to visit Chicago a couple of weeks before my operation. After the surgery, I was forced to stay on my back for two and a half months. Shriners built a prosthesis for my chest and back.

On the first trip, I stayed with my foster family for about six months. After that, I came back several times for two weeks to a month at a time. Before the operation, the Belize doctor told me I would never be able to touch my toes again, play sports, or even have children. But when I returned home, I was not only able to touch my toes, but also able to play football, basketball, volleyball, and everything else. When I went back for my first checkup at home, that doctor’s jaw dropped when he heard I could do these things. Everyone cried with happiness. I traveled back to the US a few times for a checkup. In November of 1986, I joined the police department of Belize City. I was fit as a fiddle. When I graduated from the police academy, my foster father, brother, and sister from the US came to the ceremony. Uncle Gene and I keep in touch every time he came to Belize. We had been doing that since 1984. It’s been a fantastic journey. Since the operation, I’ve never had a problem with my spine. Many of us in Belize are thankful for the financial help we’ve gotten from the Rotary Club. If I hadn’t got the help, I’d probably be sitting in a wheelchair today. My life has been crazy good since then.

CRIPPLING MOMENTS
By Edward Broaster
Battered, not by her spouse, a mother
Tormented, without the aid of enemies, a father
Crossed so many bridges to save their child
A face drained of its blood
Apparently, blistered by the sun
Nervous a wrecked she be
For him, all avenues led to dead ends
Her child’s future hangs on the ridges
Of a rugged, steep cliff seems so high
Sluggishly on the edge, she too was asking why
While standing in despair, then came a whisper
Rotary is an option you may consider
Any chance, even a faint hope to explore
With smiling faces and warm embraces
All are welcomed by two iconic shrines
Where children are free from braces
Splints, wheelchairs, walking sticks
Uneven steps, bows, and other physical challenges
Two iconic shrines that restore normalcy for many
children Rotary International and Shriners are our best
friends Lifesavers for caring parents and deserving children
In some cases, it does take a splint
Walking stick, brace, and or wheelchair
To put things in place
A life fulfilled with complex or simple procedures
Desired future back on track
Sponsored by donors, supporters, volunteers, committed
doctors, nurses, and travel kidders

To whom we all say thanks to you