|
FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ PROGRESS REPORT: APRIL
25, 2007
After nearly two months on dialysis, Francisco is feeling much
better, has a new lease on life and wants to thank all those who
have reached out to help provide for his ongoing care. This
e-letter is in response to your questions.
How did he get so sick?
His diabetes grew progressively worse over a period of several years
and resulted in almost complete kidney failure. By Christmas, he
was so ill that he would have died without dialysis. This was
arranged by Las Conchas Vecino Jannie Cox, who took him to Tucson
for a week's worth of much needed medical care.
What about dialysis in Penasco? Thankfully, there is a small
new facility, owned by a kidney doctor from Hermosillo. Francisco
goes three times a week for four hours each. However, the monthly
cost just for dialysis is about $2,200US. Without your generous
contributions Francisco will not be able to continue dialysis.
How much medical insurance does he have? He has Mexican
Social Security medical coverage which will pay for some of the
monitoring and medications, depending on what they have available.
Otherwise, he digs down and pays for these himself. There is NO
reimbursement or coverage for dialysis.
Will he always be on dialysis? The simple answer is YES
unless he qualifies for a kidney transplant at some point. Those
who have friends or family who have been forced to go on dialysis
know that it represents a lifetime commitment to disciplines and
diet.
How'd he get so popular? Over the years, Francisco has done
many good deeds for many people, including complete strangers. A
few testimonials follow.
Can tax deductible donors use credit or debit cards? YES.
In fact, we have been asked to offer an auto pay option for those
who wish to make an ongoing monthly pledge to support Francisco's
medical expenses. Just check one of the boxes, providing your AmEX,
Visa or MasterCard account number and expiration date:
o BRONZE $25/month
o SILVER $50/month
o GOLD $75/month
o PLATINUM $100/month
Please e-mail or call
Jennifer Lundin or (520) 547-1970 at the LDL Tucson office for
instructions about enrolling in the auto pay system.
Your information including email address, mailing address, credit
card info, etc. will be held in the strictest of confidence and not
be shared with any other organization or group. As we said before,
all donations are tax deductible and will go 100% toward Francisco’s
health care.
Sincerely,
Jim Barnwell, President
The Larry D. Large Foundation
2470 West Majestic Parkway, Suite 120, Tucson, AZ 85705
MORE ABOUT FRANCISCO
OLD FRIEND :I've
known Francisco since he was 12. He's always been a faithful friend,
helper, and eager to please. I love him as family, intend to help
him out monthly with this dialysis, and pray that the Lord who heals
will take this away from him.
Mary Campista, Las Conchas (Mary's family built the first home in
LC. Francisco's parents were the caretakers until his Dad passed in
2003 at the age of 105+!)
UNSUNG HERO:
We needed a service project to bring our youth group together and
help someone else in the process. Our pastor contacted Amor
Ministries in San Diego: they were just looking to expand their
mission of home building for the poorest of the poor beyond Tijuana
and Juarez. What does this have to do with Francisco? He helped
establish trust with the local pastors who needed to work together
to select future home recipients. He also worked with local
government officials so this project could get off the ground. He
provided us with housing so that we could work during the day and
have a place to rest our weary bodies at night. Over more than a
decade this Penasco project has built 700 structures, including
clinics and churches. I don't know how any of this would have
happened without Francisco's network of contacts and his quiet,
humble ever-present help. He still takes care of our group when we
come down twice a year, making sure we have everything we need.
He's our unsung hero!
Bernale W. Assoc. for Christian Ed, Orangewood Presbyterian Church,
Phoenix.
“FRANCISCO FAMOSO”: One Saturday in October of 2002, the
Rocky Point fishermen and their wives staged a highway “planton”
(roadblock) to protest the Mexican government's change in some rules
that governed their livelihood. Not surprisingly, this coincided
with the Las Conchas HOA's annual meeting, which was abruptly
curtailed when President Chuck Clark suggested that we head for the
exits if we expected to escape the blockade. Oy vey! Some of those
individuals hadn't moved so fast since Carter was in office!
Enter Francisco Hernandez . . . he rounded up a convoy of
Norteamericanos and guided them across goshawful back roads around
the blockade and sent them safely on their way North . . back to
civilization. They offered to pay him but no dice! Then he waded
into the blockade itself and began trying to make peace among the
factions. There were militant, angry fisher-people and equally
angry Norteamericanos who were cursing their bad luck at being stuck
in the middle of an ever-growing mess.
Enter Ms. Kristin Hagerson, US Counsel in Nogales. She'd
heard of the flap in advance and was in town trying to mediate a
solution. Governor Hull had roused Secretary of State Colin Powell
on Saturday afternoon and asked him to intercede with the Fox
government to cut through the stalemate. Good for her! God didn't
give her red hair for nothing! So Counsel Hagerson and caretaker
Hernandez met in the midst of the throng. She was amazed at his
good English plus the patience and the respect he accorded both
sides of the dispute. He was amazed that the US government would
send a high level individual to Rocky Point. As Ms. Kristin talked
with the crowd, she quickly learned that Mr. Pancho was well known
and well liked by both Mexicans and US citizens. She dubbed him
“Francisco Famoso” . . . and it stuck! Anyone who doubts his local
influence has only to accompany him to the Municipal Building to pay
taxes or whatever. There's the usual shaking of hands and a few
abrazos . . . along with requests for him to be interpreter or
problem solver . . . usually for the poor folks without any “juice”.
Anonymous
CELEBRITY?
While hospitalized in Tucson in February of 2007, his roommate
thought he was some sort of celebrity because his cellphone rang
constantly. As proof, we learned that his Mexican TelCel roaming
charges approached $1,000 for that week in the US! If the calls
were a typical mix, chances are they came from a combination of
well-wishers, clients with bad water heaters, hangers-on, church
groups, government officials and politicians . . . many were no
doubt needing something from him.
What WE need from him now is to take care of himself, follow his
diet, stick with the monitoring and GET BETTER! Word has it he
turned 51 in April 12 of 2007.
Anonymous
SECURITY:
At first, I was very afraid to come to Mexico but Francisco
Hernandez our care-taker and care-giver allayed those fears and
handled absolutely EVERYTHING for us for the past 20 years. During
this time, he's often taken great delight in surprising us . .
sometimes knowing just what we'd like before the idea even occurred
to us! We have great appreciation and deep affection for him. Words
cannot express what he means to us.
Carol Isham, Las Conchas
YOUNG STRANGER:
Before electricity in Las Conchas, I mustered up my courage and “ran
the border” at 11:45 PM, just before quitting time, with a huge
generator stashed in my truck. Before crossing I put a sling on my
arm, figuring that they'd be less likely to challenge a crippled
woman to open the truck and help rummage through it. That part
worked like a charm! When I rolled into my Las Conchas casita at
1AM, I found, to my horror, that it had been burglarized! It was a
dark night and the wind was howling and blowing my stuff around the
house and scaring the wits out of me. I fled back into my truck and
retreated down the road looking for help. Now, at close to 2AM, I
see a young Mexican stranger walking toward me.
Do I dare stop and ask for help? Gathering my courage and saying a
little prayer, I rolled down the window and asked, “do you speak
English and can you help me?” The young man said “Si, senorita!.”
He went back to the house with me, checked it out and upon seeing a
scorpion crawling across my pillow, said “you no stay here
tonight”. He awakened an American friend at Casa Cielo and asked
them to put me up for the night. Returning to my casa that next
morning, I found a CRANE, waiting to hoist my new generator from the
truck!
That was about1977. His name was Francisco Hernandez. We've been
friends ever since, and this is not the only “scrape” he has gotten
my family and me out of during these many years that he has cared
for us and our home. Now it is my privilege to return the favor and
help with his care.
Jannie Cox, Las Conchas & Carondelet Health Network, Tucson
35 YEARS:
Our family has
known Francisco for over thirty-five years, during which time we
have grown to love him and consider him as family. He is a
wonderful, loving and very selfless person who is always willing to
help other people even if it means putting himself last...which has
been the case most of his life. It is his overwhelming generosity of
time and spirit that has left him unable to care for himself at
this time.
Our level of trust and respect for Francisco extends to giving him
full authority regarding the use of our mother's home in Las
Conchas, enabling him to bring doctors, nurses, the unbelievable
church people that build casitas for the poor, as well as government
officials, teachers and olympians! As he began helping our mother in
the early 70's, so has he continued all these years to help others
at any given opportunity. His generosity has always extended far
beyond our family; into the hearts and homes of the city of Puerto
Penasco and the community of Las Conchas. I doubt you could find one
family in Penasco who has not been touched at one time or another by
Francisco's heart. Now it appears to be our turn to do the giving
and we are humbled and grateful to be able to help support Francisco
in any way we can in his time of need for as long as needed.
Linda Pomeroy Corbetta, Sheryl Pomeroy Storey, James Pomeroy & Our
beloved mother Shirley Pomeroy Blair
MARINATED
MERCEDES: In
the midst of a huge rainstorm, our new car stalled in a flooded
Rocky Point intersection after a long and scary trip from Tucson .
. flooded arroyos and all! Our electric windows were down and the
waves each passing truck threatened to swamp us! Across the
intersection wades a young Mexican man with his pants rolled up . .
. “can I help?” he says in very good English. Long story made short
. . he towed us out, took us home to Las Conchas and departed. By
the next morning, it sunk in that we'd given a complete stranger the
keys to our new car! Where was it and what was happening? So we
drove to town in search . . . there by the old Jimbur grocery was
our car . . hood up and parts spread out on the ground. A number of
young men were wielding hair dryers on them! Oy vey! What was to
become of us?
Next day, the car drives up . . running like a Swiss watch! “How
much do we owe you?”
The young Mexican man only wanted $30 for a battery he'd taken from
one of his trucks! His name was Francisco Hernandez. That was over
20 years ago and we've been friends ever since. He was instrumental
in helping us bring Amor Ministries' “Casitas de Amor” project to
Rocky Point and 700+ homes have been built for the poorest of the
poor. Now, we're glad to be able to help with his ongoing care.
He's a very special guy.
Jeanette & Rodger Cliftofn, Las Conchas
BY OUR SIDE:
For 15 years we
were part time residents of Las Conchas. For all those years,
Francisco was on our doorstep and by our side any time we needed
assistance. He looked after our home, our property and more
importantly, he looked after us. He often knew what we needed before
we were aware of it. We are interested in helping Francisco by
contributing to his dialysis fund.
Chip & Marilyn Mills, Boulder, Nevada
NOW ITS OUR
TURN: Like the
Mills, Francisco has spent over 20 years taking care of us, our
family, our friends, our cars and our medical emergencies.
Sometimes he's had ESP about what we needed. Now, it's our turn to
repay him for his unfailing kindness and generosity to all.
Suzie and Jim Hamblin, Las Conchas
Top of Page |
