Day 45: A Record

In the office today, I found a record of the fallen the shelter has taken this year. I copied down five months, from October to February. 

2/25/21- Dominican Republic - 2 broken wrists
2/22/21 - Mexico - splinted, returning to Juarez for surgery
2/17/21 - Guatemala - broken L femur, tibia, and heel
2/16/21 - Guatemala - injuries not recorded
2/9/21 - Brazil - spine injury, laceration on head
1/21/21 - El Salvador - broken tibia and femur, on crutches
1/24/21 - Ecuador - broken right tibia and ankle
1/19/21 - Guatemala - broken right foot
1/17/21 - Ecuador - injuries not recorded
1/13/21 - Guatemala - injured hip, right leg, used cast
1/9/21 - Ecuador - spinal fracture, operation on knee, 13 weeks pregnant
1/5/21 - Ecuador - spinal fracture, non-weight-bearing
12/31/20 - Honduras - operation on spine and left foot, used back brace
12/31/20 - Guatemala - left ankle fracture, uses walker
12/24/20 - Honduras - injured arm and foot, left leg non-weight-bearing
12/23/20 - Guatemala - injuries not recorded
12/19/20 - Ecuador - injuries not recorded
12/16/20 - Ecuador - craniotomy, injured left leg
12/10/20 - El Salvador - sprained left ankle, open fracture right leg
12/10/20 - Ecuador - fractured skull, stitches, injured right eye
12/9/20 - Guatemala - injured right leg, in brace
12/7/20 - Ecuador - lumbar 2 fracture
12/4/20 - El Salvador - stitches in forehead
11/13/20 - Guatemala - leg operated
11/22/20 - Guatemala - broken ankle
11/15/20 - Ecuador - right leg fracture
11/10/20 - Ecuador - surgery on back
10/31/20 - Guatemala - fractured lumbar spine
10/29/20 - Cuba - spinal fracture, operated
10/18/20 - Cuba - injuries not documented
10/9/20 - Guatemala - legs paralyzed
10/15/20 - Honduras - used crutches (details of injury not recorded)
10/29/20 - Honduras - fractured pelvis and vertebrae
10/28/20 - Honduras - fractured left arm
10/24/20 - Honduras - dislocated ankle
10/24/20 - Guatemala - dislocated ankle
10/23/20 - Ecuador - broken ribs, broken left hip, uses wheelchair
10/22/20 - El Salvador - serious injury, operated

I keep reminding myself that these people are just the ones the shelter has seen and helped. There are likely many more injuries than go unrecorded and unannounced.


(A powerful mural a few blocks from the bridge to Juarez.) 

Comments

  1. outdoor59July 9, 2021 at 12:28 PM

    Thanks for spelling this out for us. It makes it seem so much more real with your numbers and statistics. I had heard of people falling from the wall, but it was a vague concept to me and I had no idea it happened this often, (and like you said, your numbers are understated!) I love this mural.

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