Elkin Zapata, 9, of Nicaragua, had surgery in May in Pittsburgh, an operation he had awaited for two years.

And it was possible thanks to the work of Dr. Carl Ross, a nursing professor at Robert Morris University.

	Post-Gazette Carl Ross, a nursing professor at Robert Morris University, with Elkin Zapata, 9, and Elkin's grandmother, Miriam Del Socorro. Click photo for larger image.

It was a complex procedure, not available in his home country, to repair a trachea injury he suffered about two years ago when he fell out of a tree and his neck struck a clothesline.

The child was able to come to the United States for the operation with his grandmother because of a network of medical care providers and a host family.

Dr. Ross and his wife, Denise, opened their Cranberry home to Elkin and his grandmother, Miriam Del Socorro, after learning of his condition.

The two arrived in Pittsburgh May 1 to prepare for the surgery, performed successfully 17 days later in Children's Hospital. Elkin and his grandmother were to stay until mid-July.

Dr. Ross regularly provides health care in Nicaragua and estimated that he had been to the country more than 50 times in the past 10 years.

"I went on one visit to teach critical care to nurses, and I fell in love with the people and the country," said Dr. Ross, 49, who works as a nurse practitioner in a Nicaraguan clinic.

At Robert Morris, he is coordinator of international experiences for university faculty and students.

He learned about Elkin from a friend who also provides medical care in Nicaragua. Elkin's grandmother had asked for help on her grandson's behalf. The boy's mother is deceased.

Elkin was 6 when he fell from the tree and severed his trachea, Mrs. Del Socorro said. A stainless steel tube was inserted into his neck to allow him to breathe.

"It's a miracle he lived," Dr. Ross said.

The tube had to be removed and cleaned regularly. To speak, Elkin had to plug a hole in the tube with his finger.

His grandmother hoped for a surgery to enable him to have a more normal life. The operation at Children's Hospital involved removing cartilage from his ribs and reconstructing his trachea, connecting the severed sections.

While the Rosses provided a home for the family, others contributed to the effort.

American Airlines provided free air fare for two from Nicaragua. Incidental expenses and medical care are being paid for by a combination of sources, including Robert Morris, Children's Hospital, the Rotary Club of Pittsburgh and two organizations that help bring medical services to international patients in need: the International Children, Health, Education, and Supporting Services Initiative, and innerCHANGE.

Dr. Ross, who is adjunct faculty at the Universidad de Politechnical in Nicaragua and a consultant to the Ministry of Health there, dedicates much of his time to bringing better health care to the country.