A Second Opinion That Changed Everything

Heysel Anyeli Priscila Pinzón Rivera, a 9 year old girl, presented to the clinic in Santa Apolonia on March 9th with an 8 day history of left foot pain after sustaining a fall while jumping from furniture. Immediately after the injury, her father took her to a local traditional healer, who manipulated the foot, applied a bandage, and reassured them that she would recover. Despite continued use of ibuprofen at home, her parents did not notice any improvement.

After hearing about the medical outreach, her family decided to seek a second opinion. On evaluation, she was found to have significant swelling, pain, and bruising over the second and third toes of the left foot, with limited mobility. Given these findings, she was promptly referred to the hospital for further assessment. X-rays confirmed fractures of the second and third metatarsals of the left foot, and she was admitted for surgical management.

She subsequently underwent osteosynthesis of the affected metatarsals. After five days in the hospital, she was discharged home. At present, Heysel is stable, pain free, and in good condition. As a foundation, we continue to follow her case, supporting her with pain medications and antibiotics according to her in-hospital prescription. Her mother and grandmother expressed deep gratitude for the timely and appropriate referral, which made a crucial difference in her outcome.