Faith and hope

Elsita is 18 years old, she's been in a wheelchair for 5 years. It all started when she was 13 and was about to begin high school. She woke up one morning and couldn't walk. She was seen by general physicians, neurologists, they ran tests on her spine, on her head, every kind of test, everything was normal. The psychologist couldn't find a reason for this paralysis, but he helped her accept the fact of being in a wheelchair. Her brother, Jorge, started studying medicine and began worrying about his little sister, whom he adored. By now all the professors knew her case.

One day a doctor on shift duty, whom he worked alongside, told him about an already-retired professor who worked true miracles, but he warned him: you won't be able to get in to see him, he's a consulting physician and charges a fortune. He sees 2 or 3 patients and they generally come referred from far away. Jorge made inquiries and showed up at the office with a suitcase holding all of his little sister's test results. The secretary told him that without an appointment she wouldn't attend him and that he had to pay for the consultation, he answered that he would wait until the doctor finished his consultations. The secretary didn't know how to get him to leave, but he wouldn't budge from his spot. She went in to speak with the doctor, who told her to leave him be, that when he finished with the last patient he'd see him. Jorge waited 3 long hours.

At last the doctor received him, he was an elderly man who radiated calm and kindness. He opened the suitcase, looked over some of the tests and said: too many for such a young girl, and he asked him: «Why did you come to see me?». «Because you're the last hope, and even if I have to sell my home to pay you, I have so much faith in you that I'd do it.» «For now don't sell anything, you'll pay my fee once you're a doctor yourself, by treating people who need it without charging them.» The secretary gave him an appointment for 15 days later. He left the office as if he had wings, so as to get to Elsita as soon as possible and tell her about his odyssey.

At the first consultation he spoke with her for an hour, examined her and asked what she felt at that moment. «Hope», she said. «And I have faith that you'll follow the instructions fully.» He gave her an unlabeled dropper, he told her: «You'll take 1 drop the first day, 2 the second, until on the tenth you'll take 10, and you'll come see me again and bring the dropper. On the second day you'll sit barefoot and rest your feet on the floor and move your toes without help for 5 minutes every 2 hours». He kept giving her instructions, that by day 10 she had to be standing supported by the walker. Within a month she was already taking little steps with the walker and by 3 months she was walking.

Jorge couldn't get over his astonishment. «Doctor, what did you give Elsita?» The doctor smiled: «To the sick you must always give hope and have faith in them. That's the best medicine, and having faith in them; the rest helps».