#FlashbackFriday – Interview with Mano a Mano Pilot Ivo
#FlashbackFriday – in 2012 we interviewed Mano a Mano Aviation pilot Ivo Daniel Martinez about our aviation program and why it’s so important for the work we do in Bolivia. The program stays extremely busy, providing emergency flights to nearly 50 people throughout Bolivia every month and flying volunteer medical professionals to provide weekend health clinics almost every single weekend.
Mano a Mano Provided Emergency Flights for 538 People & 40 Weekend Health Clinics in 2015
Last year, Mano a Mano’s aviation program provided emergency flights to 538 people, in addition to flying volunteer medical professionals for 40 weekend health clinics. Learn more about the aviation program here.
Emergency flight on the Mano a Mano plane, at the Cochabamba airport.
Recent Emergency Flight – Fernando’s Back Injury
Fernando experienced a back injury and was taken to the hospital in Trinidad. Tragically, the hardware (bolts, screws, etc.) that was available to and used by the surgeon was faulty and began to fail shortly after Fernando went back home following the operation. Soon he was in excruciating pain. Bolts had loosened and could be seen right under his skin, pushing against the tissue in several places. When a local rancher saw him, Fernando had crawled into a fetal position, his only words, “Please save me.”
The rancher contacted a group of Norwegians who were working in the area and together they were able to order and purchase the appropriate hardware. Our aviation program flew to La Paz to get the hardware and then transported Fernando to a hospital where the surgery could be re-done. Physicians there said that Fernando would have died soon of infection. After successful surgery, Fernando returned to his family. Mano a Mano gave him a walker and wheelchair. Following his recovery, Fernando learned to hand-tool leather and is able to support his wife and four children.
When Mano a Mano co-founder Segundo Velasquez was in the Beni in June, Fernando found someone to drive him to the town where Segundo was meeting and, using his walker, was able to walk into the building to greet him and thank Mano a Mano for saving his life.
Mano a Mano Aviation staff at the Mano a Mano hangar at Jorge Wilstermann airport in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Check out more recent pictures from the aviation program on Facebook HERE.