Welcome to a new series profiling the incredible employees at the Maternidad. This month, meet Milagros Del Solar.
Since its establishment in 1966, Maternidad de María has managed numerous cases of premature births. Infants born weighing less than 2.2 pounds face significant risks even in well-resourced hospitals, since they are at the threshold of viability. Many do not survive, and those who do are often at risk of further complications. That is what makes the survival of such an infant born in Chimbote so amazing.
In 1988, a mother who was in labor with twins came to the Maternidad to deliver her babies, but she was only at about 26 weeks gestation.
The staff did everything in their power to save both babies, but sadly, the boy baby did not survive. For some unknown reason, premature baby girls have slightly better odds than boys, and this little girl was a fighter. She survived. Her mother named her Milagros, Spanish for “Miracle.”
Milagros Del Solar is the youngest of 11 children — six girls and five boys. She grew and flourished and, over the years, she worked hard to pursue her dream job. After years of study, Milagros graduated from dentistry school in 2012, although with no real job prospects on the horizon.
Her family had been coming to Maternidad de María for medical care for years. When the new clinic was completed in February, 2018, the expanded facility included space for a dental practice. Milagros’ mother spoke with Sr. Lillian Bockheim, and as luck (or Divine Providence!) would have it, Milagros was hired as the dentist at the brand new dental clinic.
After nine years at the Maternidad, Milagros has shown herself to be a skilled, compassionate, and caring dentist. She treats patients of all ages, offers free care for those unable to pay, and conducts Saturday dental checkups for orphans at the Center.
Directly above the exam chair in the dental clinic hangs a photo of Milagros as a tiny preemie, held in the gentle hands of Padre Julio Roos. As Milagros tells everyone, “Fr. Jules guided me here from heaven.”
A miracle indeed!