Jose Milagro "miracle"

 

We showed up at the ruin of a house in  Chapala in June 2019, armed with cleaning supplies, mops, brooms, and buckets, called to help via a local Facebook group. Beyond the wall was filth and chaos defying description, and in the middle of this inferno was Jose, scooting around in the dirt, dragging his useless legs behind him. Clad in a shirt and in a diaper, clutching a corn tortilla. He was almost eight years old and grossly underweight. How he was even alive was a miracle, milagro.

Locals had long been aware of Joe's plight and his tragic family circumstances. His great grandmother, Anita had taken him in after his mother was found in an unmarked grave, a victim of all too common drug wars, and his father, though unlisted on his birth certificate, was in prison on drug charges. At this point, Jose was very young but it soon became clear he could not walk so he joined the dogs and cats on the ground eating what he could find or was tossed his way.

No one worked in the family and his grandmother was basically a prostitute and her sons dealt drugs. There was no working toilet, no shower and the non-functioning toilet was caked with rank feces. Wet, stinking clothes were piled in corners. Clothing, when washed, was swished around in a big metal tub and hung out to dry on ropes in the yard. In the kitchen, there was a piece of refrigerator that contained some tortillas and on the grimy stove was a dried pot of beans. Nothing else. I imagine that when anyone scored some cash, they went to a taco stand. Everyone in the house was next to emaciation from poor nutrition and drug use; Jose still slept with his great grandmother and was in a diaper.

Our task was to clean out all of the broken furniture, toys, kitchenware, and furniture. And two of us tackled the vile "bathroom" sorting through the mounds of clothing into useable and unusable. Through the Facebook group, a watching machine was obtained, money raised for a toilet, sink, and counter as well as all of the plumbing. This also extended to a proper roof on the new bathroom, a new roof on the room where Anita and Jose slept, and painting the entire house, inside and out.

The gringo community donated Jose's first bed and linens. Someone donated a Spiderman bedspread and Anita wept when she saw it. One community member was a beautiful artist and she painted a mural of Lake Chapala with a ballon with Jose's name painted on it over his new bed. Anita's bed was given a make-over with new sheets and spread. Dishes, kitchenware and a new "used" stove appeared. Nothing was given or done for the other leeches in the home.

Pictures of our progress were posted regularly but the painful question soon became apparent "what next?" and "how can we get Jose off the floor?" A miracle was needed.  A couple of local powerful people became involved along with the Shriners and we hoped "this is going to be fixed" but, sadly, "no." Even though Jose's problem was fairly simple, a trapped nerve at the base of his spine, Shriners would not do the surgery because he had no legal guardian. The twists and tuns of that process took a year but it finally happened and Anita became his legal guardian.

Through the posts on Facebook, a lady in Canada took a very strong interest in helping Jose. A big burly physical therapist was hired to work with Jose six days a week and with his encouragement and expertise, he was soon walking with a walker and building up the muscles he had never used. The family never sent him to school so a volunteer tutor began lessons. By now he was approaching ten years of age and behind in school. The only encouragement he ever received was from gringos and a couple of community leaders. He was actually an impediment to the family way of life.

Through all of this, he became known as "Jose Milagro" Spanish for miracle but everyone knew that Jose needed to move from that morally corrupt house if he was to have a chance. Life is strange at times. Suddenly, about three months ago, Anita died, leaving Jose once again without a legal guardian and no one to protect him from the daily violence in the house. Often the physical therapist and tutor would take Jose out of the den if inequity to work with him and reports filtered back of his tearful requests not to go "home."

Behind the scenes, people sprang into action to have him transferred to a wonderful boys' home in the Lake Chapala area. Once again a Facebook appeal went out to this community for a bed, desk, linens and a new walker, and other items for his new life, and once again the community responded. This was delayed numerous times with his "family" asking for money. They were flatly told," no, you don't sell children."

And miracle of miracles, suddenly his grandmother brought him to the boy's home! He has now enrolled him in school and there is another boy around his age and they are best friends. Now he has a chance for a normal life.

While I am not a believer, I do believe that sometimes the universe aligns and wonderful things happen and the Lakeside community never forgot little Jose's plight. And as we approach the Christmas season, there is one young boy who has been given a wonderful gift of life.

Tis the season for giving, forgiving, and hope.

Ajijic, MX December 2021