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Young SCID Patient Succumbs to Rare Illness
DURHAM, NC (July 10, 2001) - Two-year-old Roberto "Betito" Gonzalez of Sabinas, Mexico, died Sunday afternoon of complications from Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID) at Duke Children's Hospital/Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.
Redeemer Covenant Church in Cary, North Carolina, conducted a memorial service for family members on Monday before the Gonzalez family returned to Sabinas for Betito's funeral.
"It has been an extremely difficult few weeks for Adriana and Roberto, but his death was in their arms," said Janet Hobble, Redeemer Covenant member and a nurse at Duke who helped take care of Betito during his long hospital stay.
The young boy's struggle for life was the focus of a March 2001 Covenant Companion article by Craig Pinley that chronicled the two years Betito spent at Duke shortly after being diagnosed with the rare disease. Redeemer Covenant Church ministered to Betito and his parents, Roberto and Adriana, while they stayed at Duke during the two-year-long ordeal.
Betito arrived at Duke in the spring of 1999 from Monterrey, Mexico, where doctors diagnosed the illness and recognized his need for special treatment not available at local medical facilities. His parents brought Betito to Monterrey for treatment, but doctors advised stated that more comprehensive medical care was needed, recommending the Duke facility.
After the decision was made to transfer Betito to Duke, John Kerl, a Covenant missionary in Monterrey, contacted Redeemer Covenant Church and asked the congregation for assistance for the family during their stay in Durham. The church responded graciously for more than two years, endearing them to the Gonzalez family.
Redeemer Covenant members provided meals and transportation, as well as an interpreter, parishioner Leatta Welch. Members also reached out to the Gonzalez's hometown of Sabinas, sending 40 people (including 18 high school students) to the community in April. The group
built a stairway for a local church and renovated and built bathrooms, along with running children's programs.
"The time with the group went great," said Kerl, who went from his home in Monterrey to Sabinas to meet with the Redeemer Covenant contingent. "On Sunday evening, the group did a
program and showed a video of Adriana, Roberto and Betito. Betito's great grandfather, grandmother and great aunt came to the church. There they all sat glued to the television watching the video. I think for the Cary church it made the awesome connection of bringing together two worlds."
"We met some great people and were very blessed," said Hobble of the trip. "It was also wonderful to meet more of Adriana's family and to be in their hometown."
Betito's memorial service in North Carolina was filled with stories of how Betito, the family and the church had touched the lives of so many people. Tom Rousseau, who was serving as pastor at Redeemer Covenant Church when Betito first arrived in Durham, said that doctors, nurses and other medical staff attended the service. As for the Redeemer Covenant congregation, one member's testimony spoke volumes about God's grace throughout the past two years.
"Our hope for a miracle remained, even as late as Sunday morning," said parishioner Sandra Bachman. "But our love for God is undiminished, because His love for us isn't dependent on our performance either . . . keeping in mind the eternal perspective, we have no need to regret anything.
"Adriana Gonzalez gave her life to Christ as a result of Betito's birth and illness," Bachman noted. "Adriana's mother, Blanca, also came to call Jesus her Lord and Savior. Blanca's sister, Rosadalia, came to know the Lord because she turned to her neighbor (a Covenant missionary) to get assistance in North Carolina for her niece's family. Rosadalia is a visibly changed woman now. Rosadalia's neighbor, Gloria, who was experiencing deep trials in her marriage, came with Rosadalia to the missionary's house to share news about Betito. During the visit, Gloria turned her life over to Christ. These are just the people we know who will some day be with all those who love God and have made Him their Lord. Quite possibly we would have missed having them in Heaven, had Betito never been born with his immune deficiency."
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