Child's progress celebrated

"He's been singing to himself 'Happy Birthday' all day. That's how excited he is," said his mother, Yahoska Jimenez Martinez, through the help of an interpreter, Blanca Thames.

On April 23, Ricardo, who was born without an esophagus, had a complex procedure called a colon interposition performed by the pediatric surgeons Dr. Subramania Jegathesan and Dr. Richard Ranne. Both doctors, affiliated with St. Francis Hospital, donated their services to remove a section of Ricardo's colon and connect it from his stomach to his neck directly behind his breastbone.

During the six-hour operation, the doctors also pulled a major artery from Ricardo's stomach to the neck to provide a blood supply.

Dr. Warren Pagel, who helped arrange the lifesaving operation and was Ricardo's anesthesiologist, said Ricardo had to undergo another five-hour surgery several weeks ago to fix a complication that arose from the original procedure.

Jimenez Martinez said that after the latest surgery, Ricardo is "like a 90 percent normal person. He's a very healthy kid."

Doctors, nurses, friends and family members gathered Sunday at Pump It Up in Broken Arrow to celebrate Ricardo's fifth birthday. He and his family leave for home July 29.

"Ricardo should have an expected life just as normal as far as longevity goes, and as far as the quality of his life," he said. "He'll be under the care of a Nicaraguan pediatric surgeon, and probably just the surgeon will follow him on a yearly basis with routine checkups. But he should have a totally normal life of a young little boy."

Jimenez Martinez said, "We're 100 percent sure that if anything happens, doctors there will be able to fix it just fine."

Pagel, who visits Nicaragua several times a year, said he would also be able to visit Ricardo and check on his well-being. "I'll be able to not only follow his progress, but act like his North American father," he said.

Jimenez Martinez said the care Ricardo has received from his doctors and nurses, along with the Tulsa community, will be something his family will never forget.

"For me, it's such a pleasure to be able to have stayed so they could celebrate Ricardo's birthday. We have many more years now to enjoy Ricardo," she said.

This will perhaps be the last time Ricardo and his mother will be able to visit Tulsa, she said.

"Not because I don't like Tulsa, but because the conditions for us to come back are hard. I would like to thank everybody who has made this possible, and Ricardo is very happy because they're celebrating his birthday party. I know he enjoys being here one more time with all the nurses and doctors, and all those who took care of him," she said.

Jimenez Martinez said Ricardo is excited to go home to Nicaragua, because he misses his family and friends.

"He misses them very, very much, especially his special friend Nicole. She's his very best friend. She's special.

"Ricardo is very in touch and very smart. Just the same way he remembers all his family back in Nicaragua, he's going to remember all of his family and people he's met in Tulsa," Jimenez Martinez said, fighting back tears.

"It's mixed emotions for both of us. We want to say goodbye, but we don't want to say goodbye. Back in Nicaragua, everyone from here, all will be welcome. My home is your home."

Jeff Billington 581-8369
jeff.billington@tulsaworld.com