A room where love is in the air.
«Nothing satisfies us more than seeing them improve and regain their smiles. That will undoubtedly always be our greatest reward.»
In the Respiratory Ward of the Eliseo Noel Caamaño Pediatric Hospital in the city of Matanzas, time passes differently. The minutes tick by in rhythm with the labored breathing of the children admitted there. During the winter months, morbidity increases due to the growing number of children admitted with various respiratory illnesses. Silence fills the ward, and in the cubicles, mothers watch their children with that protective instinct that is shattered in moments like these, when they realize that all the love in the world cannot save their little one from illness.
Fortunately for the mothers in the Respiratory Ward, there is a highly prestigious and experienced medical team at the Matanzas Health Institution. This is aptly stated by veteran Rosalina González, a pantry worker who has worked for decades at the Pediatric Hospital and who knows and admires the unconditional dedication of the team of specialists who work there.
«I want those two professionals over there to be recognized,» she says, pointing to two women in white coats present in the room. «They have been here through every epidemic and difficult time. They are the heart and soul of this ward; without them, there would be no Respiratory Ward.» Listening to the words of praise are Iliana Bouza Denis and Yaíma Rodríguez Lazo, both pediatricians with extensive experience in treating children with respiratory illnesses.
For over 30 years, Dr. Bouza Denis has cared for dozens of generations of children who arrived as babies, and as time goes by, she encounters them again, this time as parents of another baby she must care for.
Speaking slowly but precisely, as if her words were meant to burst forth in a calm discourse on the signs a baby exhibits when suffering from an illness, Dr. Iliana is a veritable lecturer, a place where everyone comes to learn.
She explains that to make a diagnosis, she first observes the child’s appearance, heart and respiratory rates, and above all, their activity level.
«The little ones,» she says, «arrive looking gloomy and listless.» With infants, it’s somewhat more difficult because they can’t say what’s bothering them; hence the importance of the mother, she affirms.
Dr. Yaíma Rodríguez, also highly knowledgeable and with a wealth of experience in this area, comments that the mother is the perfect partner that allows them to diagnose the ailment. From this interview, along with the physical examination and the other necessary tests, the treatment plan will be developed.
«But the mother is fundamental,» she insists. «Sometimes studies and tests yield positive results, but if the mother says ‘my child is not well’, she is probably right, because no one knows a child better than a mother.»
That filial bond, which can sometimes be difficult to grasp given the mother’s desperation, is fostered by the doctors with the necessary understanding to forge a connection for the infant’s well-being.
In the end, after recovery, gratitude will follow. And as proof of this, mother Yerenia Campos couldn’t leave the ward without saying goodbye to the doctors. In her arms, she holds her little Fabiana, who smiles shyly. Her discharge coincides with her birthday.
After 17 days, she will finally return home. She arrived at the hospital in the early morning hours with severe pneumonia. The mother praises and thanks «from the bottom of her heart,» as she says, the treatment and care she received from the hospital team from the moment she arrived.
For Dr. Iliana Bouza, these words of gratitude reaffirm her medical vocation. It was the reason she chose this specialty. “Being a pediatrician is a very noble and beautiful profession that demands great sensitivity,” she says, adding that “children are very important to us.
The most important moment comes when we bring back their smiles; that’s what we dedicate ourselves to. We assume a great responsibility, and that’s how we face each day.”
For her part, Dr. Yaíma Rodríguez affirms that the staff works together, united, for the well-being of the children’s health.
“We monitor respiratory illnesses until they resolve. Nothing satisfies us more than seeing them improve and regain their smiles. That will undoubtedly always be our greatest reward.”
• Photos by the author
Written by Arnaldo Mirabal.
