Miracle day: Los Zarzuela y Innovación Ortopédica

"Miracle day: Los Zarzuela y Innovación Ortopédica

Elder Darrel L. Hammon

Los Hammon, Los Zarzuela, Bennie Lilly, Carlos

                There are days on one’s mission when you know why you are serving the Lord. Today was one of those. The Church has a humanitarian project with Innovación Ortopédica, a group of incredible people—Cristina, Carlos, and Daniel. The Church provides prosthesis to this group and then makes referrals of members and non-members who need a prosthesis. One of those members is Hermano Zarzuela from Santiago.

Hermano Zarzuela’s bishop called me a few weeks ago to ask me about a prosthesis that Elder and Sister Atkinson had worked on. When I called Cristina, she told me that since Hermano Zarzuela is a diabetic, they had to construct a different kind of prosthesis, one that could expand and contract, depending on the leg swellings and contractions, and it was going to take some time because of the way they had to build it. This week I received an email from Cristina, saying it was ready.

Hermana Zarzuela

I had talked to Hermano y Hermana Zarzuela at the Casa de Huéspedes on Monday night after Family Home Evening (FHE). Elder Snow had seen them and then came over and told me they were there. We had not previously met Hermano y Hermana Zarzuela. But they are instantly likeable. He is about 66-years old and still in pretty good health. When I visited with them on Monday evening, they were ecstatic because he was going to receive a new leg sometime that week. They were going on Tuesday morning to Innovación Ortopédica to be trained on how to us  a prosthesis.

So at 10:00 a.m., Hermana Hammon and I along with Bennie Lilly, the Area Welfare Manager, met Los Zarzuela at Innovación Ortopédica to witness la entrega of a prosthesis to Hermano Zarzuela. As we waited in the lobby, we had a wonderful conversation with Hermana Zarzuela who could not contain her joy. She thanked the Church and Innovación Ortopédica for their great work and expressed her overwhelming job at what was going to be happening today.  Soon, Cristina came out and said it was time.

Hermana Zarzuela

Just at that moment, Hermano Zarzuela walked into the lobby. His smile was grandiose. He was a new man. He then showed us how he could walk. It was truly an incredible sight to behold. While he was walking, Daniel and Carlos explained how Hermano Zarzuela learned to walk on his new leg. They told us that he took to the new prosthesis as quickly as some of their younger patients. Carlos and Daniel showed us the material from which they made the prosthesis. It is a gel-like material that allows for expansion and contraction.

Cristina served cookies and orange juice. As we enjoyed the treats, we talked about the project and the Church’s involvement with Innovación Ortopédica and what a great partnership it was. While we talked, I felt joy like Ammon did when he talked about the People of Ammon. In actuality, this partnership is truly a miracle. People who cannot walk or use crutches or even use wheelchairs can now go out and lead very productive lives. And here was Hermano Zarzuela whose eleven grandchildren had never seen him walk with two legs.

Interestingly, Daniel commented that Los Zarzuela should gather their family together on Family Home Evening night and explain the process to their grandchildren. Although Daniel is not a member of the Church, he knows enough that we gather our families on Monday evenings and spend time together, enjoying each other’s company, sharing gospel truths, and learning about Christ.

Los Zarzuela, Carlos, Cristina, y Daniel

We enjoyed such a wonderful time at Innovación Ortopédica. Thank you once again, Cristina, Carlos (“Freddy”), and Daniel, for your miracle-working abilities and your willingness to work with the Church and with people like Hermano Zarzuela.

Perhaps, the frosting on the cake—to use a very old cliché—was that evening in the temple. Brother García asked me to officiate the 6:00 p.m. session. As I stood there, waiting for the members to enter the room, in walked Hermano and Hermana Zarzuela. Oh, what joy I felt! He walked into the room. He still needs to use a cane to balance himself for a while. But he walked in. His smile was huge. We probably didn’t need the lights this evening as both of them glowed.

Los Zarzuela

My feelings today overpowered me on several occasions. What the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does around the world with humanitarian projects is impressive. Some may be large; some may be small; some involve lots and lots of people; others involve just a few. But the Innovación Ortopédica project helps one person at a time. And today, it helped Hermano Zarzuela. Because of this single event, it will affect many, many people—his family, his friends, his community, and others to see his courageous example to walk again on two legs. Thank you, Hermano Zarzuela.