Alvaro Noboa

Alvaro Noboa Visits 'Fundación Padre Damián' Every Year Since 1982

Alvaro Noboa Visits
'Fundación Padre Damián' Damien House is an institution that contributes to the study, treatment, and rehabilitation of people who suffer from Hansen's disease. "We are committed to provide specialized medical care, as well as psychological, spiritual, and social, so that those affected are treated fairly," says its founder, Sister Annie Credidio, who has dedicated her life to the welfare of those who most in need. She came from the United States in the late 80's to Guayaquil to join the Nuevo Mundo nuns, she later visited the Damien House, which at that time, was in deplorable conditions; and kept working there. Today, the foundation is filled with colored walls, the beds are always neat and the floors are always shiny. The Foundation's primary purpose is to eliminate the stigma that has been created around the disease, informing that Hansen can be cured and that basic preventive measures can eradicate the disease.

Most patients make handicrafts-they create items made of wood, typical dolls, embroidery, fabrics, jewelry, Christmas decorations, among others-as a supplementary therapy to improve their physical rehab, mainly in the upper extremities. That way they fight the effects caused by the nerve atrophy disease.

These crafts represent a small income, it gives them financial support and improves patients' self esteem by making them feel useful.

As an institution that provides free care, it needs resources to continue to benefit their patients, that is why Alvaro Noboa went to Damien House on Wednesday. He delivered gifts and shared a fun time with all the members of the institution. Through Crusade for a New Humanity Foundation, the banana businessma has provided financial support to Damien House for over 20 years. Twelve former patients who are completely recovered are currently working for Damien House , four of them have benefited from scholarships granted by groups of foreign volunteers and others who support these initiatives.

The maximum capacity of patients admitted is between 30-40 men and 10 women, most of them live in the Foundation because many of them were abandoned by their families due to sequels of the disease that was not treated on time.

Few patients receive family visits; there are four cases that were recieved in 1966 and others in 1975, they have never stopped living in the hospital.

All the members from Damien House (workers and volunteers) are for most of the patients the lost family tie because they receive from them attention and continuing care. There are 48 patients admitted in this Foundation and approximately 360 outpatients. Daily, 12 to 15 outpatients visit the hospital for a check up.

Among the services offered by this foundation are clinical consultation, ophthalmologist consultation, dental care, otolaryngology consultation, gynecological consultation, major and minor surgeries, amputations (including donation of prostheses), physical therapy services, medications, balanced diet (including 3 meals a day for inpatients) and coordinated meal consultation for outpatients.