Some people are practically “everyday superheroes”, as they strive day to day to give the best of themselves to the people around them, and with small details they seek to make great changes in the lives of others.
This is the case of the Yucatecan oncologist nurse, Henry Villarreal Escamilla, who wears the mask of “Spider Man”, and becomes a superhero everytime he has to pay a visit to a child, and this way he makes them happy, and also makes sure they take their medication.
“We’re talking about children who suffer from some type of cancer, some of them remain hospitalized during long periods of time and many of them need to go through chemotherapy, among other procedures, so it is always pleasant for them to receive a visit of “Spidey”, which brights up their day, at least for a brief moment”, Villareal Escamilla said.
“I love my job, to take care of the children, to be able to see them happier, and helping them forget (at least for a while), that they are in the hospital or under medical treatment. I disguise myself as a superhero because children accept me better this way, and in many cases, it’s the parents who ask me to approach their children, ”he added.
Nurse Henry began to disguise himself and grant this special extra support to patients, seeing that it is also difficult for parents to see their children in the hospital and how this situation affects them emotionally. However, doing his job as a nurse and putting on the mask has made children and their parents feel better, as most of these little ones are usually going through pain or discomfort.
“As part of my job, I noticed that sick children sometimes fear nurses, because they associate us with needles, syringes, medications and the medical processes they don’t particularly enjoy. So the disguise was very useful, it is a distraction at the time of treatments, it makes kids smile and laugh, and then suddenly, they are looking forward for their nurse. They ask when is the “superhero nurse” coming, ”said Henry Villarreal Escamilla.
Finally, he stressed that being part of the Pediatrics work team in the High Specialty Medical Unit of the IMSS UMAE, has allowed him to help and contribute to the care of children during difficult times. And on special dates such as Día del Niño (Children’s Day) and Christmas , other nurses disguise themselves too, for the enjoyment of their pediatric patients.
The UMAE in Mérida is a Third Level hospital, which offers services for the care of pathologies of high complexity. Currently, it covers the attention of IMSS beneficiaries of the entire Yucatan Peninsula (Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo), including some from the state of Tabasco as well.
