Face to Face With Death: Ricardo's Story

Ricardo lay on his hospital bed, overcome with fear. Was this the end of his story?

20 Nov, 2024

Ricardo was just four years old when his family moved to a small community outside of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. In those first years, Ricardo lived in a tent with his family. With his three siblings, he would dig through bins looking for their next meal in the scraps that market vendors had thrown away.

“Ricardo would look at me and say, ‘What are we going to do?’” says Fanny, Ricardo’s mother. “I would say, ‘It’s not forever. It’s not forever.’”

And it wasn’t forever. Volunteers from the local Compassion centre visited Ricardo’s family, registering him in the program. Overnight, God opened up a safe place of shelter and joy, where Ricardo knew he could fill his empty belly.

“The most we had to eat at that time was rice with egg,” says Fanny. “Ricardo told me that the food they gave him at the centre was delicious. I knew he would be full there.”

Everyone falls on hard times. But for people living in poverty, these difficult seasons don’t always have an end in sight. One way you can show your global neighbours that you care is by giving a Gift of Compassion. These ethical and intentional gifts go towards releasing children like Ricardo from poverty.

Face to face with death

As Ricardo grew older, Sister Graciela, the centre director, and other tutors sat with him each week, getting to know him and encouraging his dreams. Ricardo wanted to become a mechanic, and the centre staff helped him focus on his education and training. In time, Ricardo grew into a compassionate, industrious young man.

But in 2022, Ricardo's life would change.

When visiting an aunt and uncle for the holidays, Ricardo developed a severe stomach-ache. He tried to ignore it, but when he finally told his aunt he wasn’t feeling well, she took him to the hospital. There, Ricardo had an emergency appendectomy.

At first, it seemed like Ricardo was healing well from the surgery, but after two months, he got sick again. It took days for the doctors to determine that he would need to undergo surgery again.

The nurse handed Ricardo’s parents a list of medical supplies, and his father rushed to the store, knowing that the doctors would not begin the surgery until he returned with the necessary medications, gauze and needles.

The surgeon discovered that Ricardo’s intestines were perforated, and infection was flooding his body. Fanny still remembers the haunting words: “Your son may not make it.”

As she sat outside her son’s room, Fanny knew who to call.

“It was 1:30 in the morning when I called Sister Graciela. I asked her to pray and told her my son is between life and death. She told me, ‘This is now in God’s hands. God knows what He is doing,’” says Fanny.

She repeated those words over and over as she sat outside Ricardo’s door, praying for her son. This is in God’s hands. He knows what he is doing.

In the ICU, Ricardo was fighting for his life. Four times, the surgeons attempted to close Ricardo’s incision, but each time, his intestines were too infected and swollen.

Between surgeries, Ricardo pleaded with his mum to take him home. He couldn’t eat. He couldn’t sleep. He told her he felt like he was going crazy.

But one afternoon, Sister Graciela and local church leader, Pastor Raul, slipped into his room.

“I started crying because I was so happy to see them,” says Ricardo.

Sister Graciela encouraged Ricardo to pray the words of Psalm 4:8 in those times when sleep wouldn’t come.

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” —Psalm 4:8 (NIV)

Ricardo prayed those words each night, and soon he was able to sleep for a few hours at a time. Slowly, Ricardo’s faith began to triumph over the loneliness and depression he faced because he knew he wasn’t fighting this battle alone.

“Ricardo’s faith grew every day,” says Sister Graciela. “And one day he said to me, ‘Sister, I want to live. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I want to live today holding God’s hand.’”

After several weeks, a specialist was finally able to close Ricardo’s incision in a surgery that lasted more than four hours. Ricardo was able to go home soon after, but his recovery would be long and gruelling. Fanny learned her son would need lifelong medication and that, for the first few months at home, he would require a colostomy bag. The ‘normal’ life Ricardo craved was still a long way off.

Coming back to life

When Ricardo came home, Sister Graciela and the entire Compassion centre stepped into action. They helped Ricardo’s parents fill out the paperwork to get reimbursed for Ricardo’s medication, and they covered the cost of the special diet he now required.

But healing wasn’t just about Ricardo’s appetite returning and his wounds healing. When she visited the family, Sister Graciela could see the frustration on Ricardo's face when he could only walk a few steps before needing to rest. The bag attached to his side prevented him from riding his bike and playing soccer with his friends. A cloud of sadness hung over the once gregarious teen.

So Sister Graciela, Pastor Raul and the Compassion centre staff did the only thing they knew: they prayed for total healing and committed to walk alongside Ricardo on his journey.

“God’s plan is to heal us. To free us from so many things. And God doesn’t just heal a part of our bodies, God heals everything—spirit, soul and body. God is holistic,” says Pastor Raul.

Ricardo's physical healing was most tangible when the colostomy bag was removed. But the emotional and spiritual healing took longer. Ricardo still gets teary when he recounts those long days waiting alone in the hospital—not knowing if he’d make it out alive.

But just as those from his Compassion centre and local church helped carry him in his time of biggest need, Ricardo has started to dream about ways he now can help other people in his community.

“This is our task as the Church. Of being able to share, embrace and carry [each other’s] burdens,” says Pastor Raul.

It’s impossible to separate the physical healing Ricardo experienced from the ways he has been drawn deeper into hope and faith through his journey. Because of the path he walked, Ricardo has had a front-row seat watching the Church be the hands and feet of Jesus. His body may still bear the scars of surgery, but his soul bears the hope of Jesus—and he will never be the same.

How can you help children like Ricardo?

Stories like Ricardo’s are only made possible by the love and kindness of those who support this special work and give resources to make it possible, and one way you can make a difference today is by giving a Gift of Compassion. These ethical gift options make a positive difference for children living in poverty, and they start from as little as $10. There are 24 gifts to choose from, and each gift comes with a beautifully designed card that highlights its social impact.

For example, a Food Security Gift of Compassion or a Where Most Needed Gift of Compassion will support young people like Ricardo living in some of the world’s poorest countries. Be the hands and feet of Jesus today, and explore the full Gifts of Compassion catalogue here.

Written by Sarah Moore, Compassion Australia, with local reporting by Juana Ordonez Martinez, Compassion Honduras.