Tomorrow catches up with Vicente’s progress following his second operation.
Unfortunately, Vicente’s surgery in April was unsuccessful and medical experts suggested another operation which had to be cancelled on 13 April after Vicente suffered a fit. The operation was rescheduled for May using funds donated by TACT and former Liverpool striker John Aldridge.
Prior to his operation Vicente was in a lot of pain when having his nappy changed or opening his legs and walking was difficult. This time the operation went well, as surgeons carried out a Proximal Femoral Varus Derotation Osteotomy and reduction of the right hip with an external fixator, (a metal rod screwed into the bone) which had to be used for two and a half months.
The operation and recovery period was not easy for his family as Vicente had a lot of pain at the beginning. He could only be in two positions, either on his back or on his side and was not able to leave the house for fresh air. To eat was punishing because of the position he was in. “It’s been a difficult two and a half months, but Vicente has overcome one more stage,” says his mother, Vera.
Vicente’s quality of life has now improved a lot and he is no longer in pain. Now that the hip is in place, it is easier for Vicente to work or trying to walk.
The five-year-old has a very strong personality and despite his limitations, he is very bright. Vicente doesn’t like to be separated from his mother and always cries when she leaves him. “He already knows what he wants, whether he wants to drink water from this or that glass, what to eat this or that and say perfectly yes or no,” says his mother. “He loves the beach, water and bolas de Berlim. He loves to be read a story and listen to music and tries to sing and everything.”
When Vera heard of the donations from TACT, John Aldridge and others, she remembers, “It was a mixture of emotions, crying, laughing, I have no words to describe such a gesture and I will be grateful for the rest of my life, gratitude to all those who helped us because if they hadn’t helped me, it would have been very difficult to get the money to operate on Vicente.”
You can still help Vicente with the collection of bottle tops and caps and leave them at the various collection points or with donations to his account. The clinic accepts plastic and metal bottle tops in exchange for his treatment.
“The next objective with the therapies is to recover everything that Vicente lost during the four months because of the operations, and at the moment, we will have to step back a little so that he can gain more muscle and trunk strength. But we haven’t been standing still, since he removed the external fixator, he has been doing physiotherapy every day for one hour, speech therapy twice a week and osteopathy once a week,” explains Vera.
On 6 September, another cycle of intensive treatments began at the CHS clinic in Braga for another nine weeks. “Another long step ahead, but with a lot of faith and love, you get there, never give up,” concludes Vera.
Bottle tops and lids can be left at the following locations: Tennis Club and Padel de Lagos, Churrasqueira Marques, Remax, Clube Desportivo de Odiaxere, Spa in Praia da Luz, Baptista.
Facebook: O Mundo Colorido do Vicente
IBAN: PT50 0033 0000 4553 8620 459 05
