Villa Clinic Supports Patients and Their Families

Eighteen-year-old Calebe Terlo and his mother Dezana Jean-Francoise wait patiently outside Dr. Dubreus’ office at HEI/SBH’s satellite clinic in Villa. “He’s has had a fever, off and on for a couple of weeks. We live very near and are coming in just to check on him,” Dezana quietly explains, while looking fondly at her son. Calebe grins at his mother, hides behind his baseball cap, and then poses very seriously for a photo. 

Calebe first visited the Villa Clinic when he was nine years old. He had been coughing for months, and his worried mother brought him to the clinic to see if the doctors could help her son. “When Calebe first came to Villa Clinic, his parents had no way to explain how Calebe was different. No doctor had ever examined him,” explains Dr. Dubreus, head doctor at the Villa Clinic. “He has a developmental delay that had been totally unaddressed, though he was lucky to have supportive and loving parents. Once we cleared up his cough, we could offer Calebe and his mother support in helping Calebe live healthfully and happily.”

Calebe has received free medications for the coughs and infections he is prone to getting, and the staff at the Villa Clinic have counseled his family on schools that specialize in helping children like Calebe who have developmental delays and learning disabilities. Calebe is lucky to have a loving family, and access to a clinic that can help them support his needs.