It’s been nine months since Ricardo Pun Chong —awarded doctor as ‘Hero of the Year‘ by the chain cnn in 2018—came out of a coma after suffering a heart condition. Her family, friends, mothers and the minors who are part of the shelter Inspire They were waiting for him to continue sharing smiles.
He Peruvian 52-year-old remained sedated for more than 10 days in the Rebagliati Hospital, where his health situation was reserved. However, the doctor reappeared for the cameras Channel N and tell about his own struggle and his return to his second home with the girls and boys who have a health problem.
“A little string broke in my heart, blood came out and filled my lungs. I was in an induced coma for a few days, I had surgery at Rebagliati. I woke up, to be very honest, I thought a day had passed and like 13″ had passed, were his words.
Pun Chong He confesses that he never felt alone, because they sent him their expressions of affection through various means, even from people he did not know. “I am totally grateful for so much love that I have received in those days,” he says and specifies that many of the messages he received were when he was sedated.
The doctor, internationally recognized for his actions, has already returned home, where upon arrival he is always greeted with dozens of smiles. The NGO Inspira was founded in 2008 by Pun Chong in response to the need for accommodation for families traveling from the interior of the country to Lime to receive medical attention.
The organization arose after observing the conditions in which many parents of sick children found themselves, who did not have the financial resources to rent a place to stay. Therefore, he decided to create a space for these families after witnessing how minors slept on the floor during their stays in the capital.
“The Inspira shelter has been operating for 16 years and we have been in this wonderful building for a year, but it took about eight years to build it,” declares a representative of the NGO.
The doctor managed to raise funds with the help of volunteers, companies and other organizations to have a larger and more comfortable space, which would allow more people to be accommodated. However, financial help is one of the factors that is needed at this time so that more minors have the opportunity to undergo treatment.
“We have the capacity to support more than 120 people, it is already furnished, but we lack money. Everything is there, but we lack money to be able to pay for electricity, water, salaries,” says Pun Chong.
Yael and his mother came to Lime from Piura after being diagnosed with gastroschisis, a disease that damaged his intestines. The little one had to undergo surgery up to six times in just the first five months of being born. “For the health of my little son who was born with gastroschisis, he was referred to Lime, because there weren’t any there,” said her mother. This is how she came to this shelter that she allowed her youngest to now have overcome this evil.
A similar story is that of the little one Adrianwho arrived from Junin with his mom. On this occasion, the little boy was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but they had nowhere to stay and it was the shelter that opened the doors to them.
It should be noted that before the NGO Inspira It only took in low-income patients who were diagnosed with any type of cancer. However, the help of each Peruvian man and woman has allowed opportunities to expand and minors with other conditions to be part of this home.
