Let’s make the impossible possible is the life motto of the Fernández Ros family. Hope feeds the elders of the house, who find in the smiles of little Óscar and Lucía the vaccine against discouragement. But guaranteeing the therapies for the two-year-old boy with brain injury comes at a price: 600 euros per month. That is where the generosity of the residents of Perín appears, who are always willing to lend both hands if necessary for Óscar to continue swimming.
Now that they are able to face reality, Óscar’s parents raise their voices on his behalf so that society does not leave behind those who cannot advance alone. “Research and public resources are essential to help improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable,” say his parents, Óscar Fernández and Lucía Ros.
Óscar’s story began on July 3, 2020 at the Santa Lucía Hospital in Cartagena. He was in a hurry to wake up the world and went ahead to week 34. Óscar was born with a serious brain injury, but his parents are not convinced by the explanations they received from the doctors and they have an open investigation to “find out the origin”. . The two-year-old boy has difficult-to-control epilepsy as a consequence of the brain injury.
greater independence
It was hard for the mother to assume that Óscar will never be like his six-year-old sister Lucía. But she wants him to have the best possible quality of life and independence. In her fight, she has always insisted that Social Security extend the necessary therapy sessions to the child. Until now, she receives seven weeks from Social Security. The remaining eight are paid for by her parents. Occupational and aquatic therapy, along with visits to the physiotherapist and osteopath cost the family 600 euros per month.
The flamenco group Canela en Rama will give a benefit concert for the little one on March 26 at the neighborhood association
Lucía celebrates the progress of the early care law, especially in comprehensive action, but regrets that there is a long waiting list. “It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” she says. For this reason, she believes that human and material resources should be increased and procedures streamlined to focus the objective on what is important: patient care.
After the three therapies in the morning, Óscar returns home with his mother and does rehabilitation exercises after lunch. The games with his sister and the time shared with the family break the strict daily routine.
Lucía parked her beauty salon and took advantage of the Cume state aid for caring for seriously ill and premature children, which allows the reduction of the working day. Now, she does her hair at home on Saturdays for some neighbors who “even in that they are being generous.” Her husband, Óscar Fernández, works as an electrician.
This is not the only change that came with the birth of Óscar. The family left their residence in Los Dolores and went with the maternal grandparents to Perín, while they build a house adapted to the accessibility needs of the child in the council. They could have chosen another area of the municipality of Cartagena, but the Fernández Ros need the warmth of their people: blood family and friends.
Óscar is not capable of expressing affection, but Perín’s neighbors do it for him, who according to his mother “are in love with the expressiveness of his gaze. He speaks with his eyes ».
The town has been overturned from the beginning with the little one. Collections and solidarity actions for the benefit of child therapies are recurring. The next solidarity concert will be on March 26 at the Perín Neighborhood Association. The flamenco group Canela en Rama will cover rumbas and will review their own songs. Óscar’s parents are very active on social networks, where they share the child’s progress, while making the disease visible and demanding greater attention both for their son and for other children with disabilities. The Instagram profile ‘oscar_siguenadando’ is a good example.
They have ‘whatsapp’ groups with other parents affected by the same disease. Among the messages they find understanding and information.
Doctors still don’t know if Óscar will talk or if he will ever walk. “They say no to so many things, but what if it turns out that they are?” the child’s parents wonder.
There is a children’s song that includes the expression that the little one repeats so much: “boo”. The lyrics follow with “Keep swimming, keep swimming / I want to be like you.” Added to this melody is the father’s passion for the marine world and octopuses, to which science attributes extraordinary abilities to survive. Like Oscar.
#Perín #pitches #Óscar #continue #swimming