If you've been watching the news in the past two weeks, you probably know the story of Nevil Bermudez, the 10-year-old Camalote resident - who has been flown to the United States for emergency heart surgery. We'll have an update on him in a few minutes, but first we'll tell you about another young man who needs heart surgery and his is also a special case. 17-year-old Christopher Bowman has been shining shoes since the age of 10. Now he's working as a maintenance man, but a debilitating heart condition is threatening his livelihood and his life. Today his mother told us about his problem.
Odessa Orozco, Mother
"My son has a vascular tumor in his chest, in his vein, and it is affecting his heart slowly by surely."
Alfonso Noble,
How long has he had this problem?
Odessa Orozco,
"From he was ten years old. This is my first child, I have two girls, but he is my firstborn and he has been taking care of me from he was ten years old. He used to do the shoeshine and he brought in money to help me and his two little sisters and he helped me put his sisters through school. Whatever he made, he brought to me and we ate off of that because we don't have money, I am poor. Dr. Cuellar saw him and then he told me that he needs a surgery but the surgery can't be done here. I need help for him and I am asking if people can help me for him to get the surgery. I would want whosoever could help to talk to Dr. Cuellar and Yvette Burks. I need him to get this operation because I don't him to die on me."
Christopher Bowman, Needs Surgery
"I'm just asking the public to help me with a little help to go abroad
for this surgery. Just that I would want them to help me with. I would want this thing out of my chest right now because I have problems sleeping at night. I have to get up 12 o'clock to make this thing stop hurting me and sometimes when I cough it brings up stuff out of my mouth."
Odessa Orozco,
"He has a big swelling in his chest and the swelling is going to his back and he needs an operation. Please help him for me. Somebody please help him for me because I don't like how his chest looks."
Those wanting to assist can call Odessa Orozco at 622-7665.
