Petero’s Homecoming
Dr. Salyer Describes Petero’s Homecoming
We were bounced and jostled in every direction as our guide’s jeep negotiated the rough, dry, African terrain, but Petero could hardly contain his excitement as we approached his remote village. His anxious family, including his four brothers and sisters, stood ready to receive him — all assembled for the homecoming festivities. Though we required interpreters to communicate, I felt the warmth and gratitude of his astonished parents. I could tell immediately they were wonderful people, and I was deeply touched by their appreciation for their son’s transformation.
When Petero’s mother kneeled before me in praise and thanks, the appropriate words escaped me — even in my own language. I was at the same time humbled and gratified that I was able to make such an important impact on the lives of these amazing people – so isolated from the most basic amenities of Western civilization, but possessing joyful hearts. There was no running water, no sanitation, no heating or air conditioning — or electricity of any kind. Yet, Petero was bursting with pride to show us his simple dirt hut and a modest garden where he had planted vegetables just before making his trek to the United States.
As the ceremony began, I was seated at the head of gathering with Petero to my right and his father to my left in a circle of celebration. A makeshift tent of tan, roughhewn cloth served as a crudely arranged drape over the grouping of chairs. As the event progressed, Petero was served the first meal with ritualistic pomp. And I was awarded one of the village’s highest honors — a live chicken and a lush, freshly cut banana tree stalk.
The wizened, yet fiery, leader of the 163-member village addressed us as a group, and his mannerisms reminded me of a savvy, garrulous Western politician. He discussed his own talents and recent accomplishments on behalf of the tribe at great length. Then, he called for two other patients with congenital abnormalities to meet me. I spoke briefly through the interpreter to the
village’s voting members about my commitment to help as many children as possible – no matter where they might live in the world. What a rare moment in time – still preserved in my mind’s eye — one that I will treasure always. As the Discovery Channel documentary team recorded this poignant, moving tribute to Petero – a child completely changed. Once ostracized and shunned by his peers, fellow villagers and teachers, this courageous boy – beaming with confidence — was now accepted, embraced and revered. This is what makes it all worthwhile. This is why I have dedicated my life to this incredibly important work – helping to cast away the veil of deformity so reveal every child’s unique, shining spirit. There is nothing more gratifying.
The village elders brought the two patients forward for my review. One could barely walk with a major foot deformity that a suspected an orthopedic surgeon could handle. The other presented with a massive tumor of the upper and lower jaw – unlike anything I had ever seen before. I assured the community that we would treat these children and do everything we could to make them whole.
Mesmerized by the new Petero, the village welcomed the different boy he had become. No longer a quiet, reclusive adolescent, he had evolved into an outgoing, gregarious young man – freely dancing at a party in his honor. As the native drums played, Petero even managed to incorporate some moves he picked up in Texas. What a combination – the Texas two-step accompanied by native, African drums! What a sight to behold!
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Petero’s case was one of the most severe forms of Crouzon’s that I have ever seen with a severe cone-shaped skull and extremely prominent, bugged eyes. His deformity was so extreme that he was losing his eyesight. Already blind in one eye, the vision in his other eye was saved by the surgery. Actually, when I met the family at the airport before Petero arrived with his travel guardian, Immaculate, his father told me through the interpreter that he completely given up.
They had pursued every possible route, and finally, there a miraculous series of events was set in motion. The Catholic nuns me through an acquaintance in a nearby village referred him to a Dr. Andrew Hodges. Dr. Hodges and I happened to attend the same meeting in Durban, South Africa in September 2005 – where I gave a keynote address on craniofacial surgery. Dr. Hodges consulted with me on the spot and explained he could do nothing for the boy, because the treatment was beyond the scope of the practice capabilities in his Uganda hospital.
We reviewed Petero’s photographs and I offered that the World Craniofacial Foundation could likely help bring Petero to the United States and provide the specialized treatment he so desperately needed. And that is how Petero’s extraordinary story began.
Not surprisingly, Petero became accustomed to the ways of Texas during his stay, but he was very eager to return home to his family and very proud his surroundings. Though his village was raw and primitive, Petero was bursting with pride to show us his simple dirt hut and a modest garden where he had planted vegetables just before making his trek to the United States.
I sincerely believe that he is much happier there than he would ever be in more modern, urban society, because this is his home. This is where his heart resides and thrives. I could see it in the interactions with his brothers and sisters — grandfather and parents.
Actually, I think Petero’s face was overcorrected. The mid-face was overcorrected with the idea that it wouldn’t grow normally, but the lower jaw will grow more and come out to match it. At 13, I would anticipate that Petero may never need another operation and that he has been transformed into an acceptable, happy, vibrant confident young man. We are dedicated to seeing that he goes to school. In fact, I asked them to look into the cost of sending him to a special school where he will get an accelerated education, so he can make up what he has missed to date and catch up. In the meantime, he has started daily tutoring with a village teacher.
Though he will likely need no additional surgeries, Petero, like so many of my patients, will always be part of my life and my heart. We are literally partners in recovery of the mind, body and spirit, and I believe this is a process that never ends.
