Angel

This is Angel, he is 17yrs old. When he was 14yrs old he was a
passenger in a car. The car was attacked by bandits. The driver did
not stop and the bandits shot at the car. A bullet went through
Angel’s cheek and came out his chin.

For the past three years this young man has endured a lot of pain.
His jaw was fractured. For nearly a year it was wired shut and he
could only eat through a straw. The family then got the next
treatment for him which was to unwire his jaw and then he had a mouth
of metal wired into him.

When the group COTA came down we sent Angel to them. They found that
after all this time that his jaw was still fractured and that his
teeth were rotting and abcessing under all the wire.

After many months of diligent work, Jody from COTA was able to have
medical treatment donated to him, an airline ticket arranged and a
foster family that is waiting to greet him.

We only had to cross the nerve wracking moment of getting Angel a visa
to the U.S.A . Because of his age it was touch and go whether he
would receive it but fortunately, thanks to the hard work and
experience of another COTA worker, Aida, Angel got his visa!!!

He is really thrilled to be going to the U.S.A. He is photographed
with his passport and his visa. Angel does not smile because of his
embarrassment about the state that his teeth are in. You can see in
the photo the scar on his chin and cheek from the bullet.

Angel is nervous but very excited to be finally going to get the
medical treatment that he needs.

We hope that when he comes back to Guatemala in November that he will
be able to return to school in January for the new school year. He
has missed so much school because of pain, illness and embarrassment.

We are so grateful to the people of COTA who provide this wonderful
service to the children of Guatemala.