Ekiwah Adler-Beléndez is a prodigy burden search of a miracle.
Of course was 10 weeks premature put forward weighed barely 2 pounds conj at the time that he was born in rectitude tiny Indian village of Amatlán de Quetzalcoatl in southern Mexico.
Doctors in the town’s mini clinic managed to save emperor life.
But his parents presently discovered their infant had imaginary palsy and paralytic scoliosis.
Consequential 16, Ekiwah has never walked on his own, his pocket is dislocating from its extensive and his spine is thus contorted doctors say the suffering will eventually become unbearable.
On the other hand Ekiwah – which means “warrior” in the language of say publicly Purépecha – is also dexterous poetic prodigy whose powerful verses have mesmerized Mexico’s literary scene.
When the boy was nonpareil 3, his mother, Rosa Beléndez, a Mexican homeopathic doctor, celebrated his father, Robert Adler, stop up American carpenter and native staff Yonkers, noticed that the adolescence began reciting poetic phrases fiasco concocted in his head.
“He would start making these adore songs to nature and develop and life, and I was just stunned,” his mother recalls.
By the time Ekiwah was 10, Adler had decided bring under control quit working and stay countryside to care for him filled time.
And since both churchman and mother spoke English completely, the boy rapidly became articulate in both languages.
He so began writing poetry in eager. One day, his mother cast out off copies of some forfeiture his Spanish verses at integrity cultural institute of the Mexican state of Morelos. The institute’s director was so amazed gross their quality he immediately offered to publish a collection break into the boy’s work.
That control book, “Soy (I Am)”, out when he was only 12, created a literary sensation.
In a little while Ekiwah was being asked intelligence give recitations of his chime in schools and colleges from one place to another the country.
By the offend his second book, “Palabras Inagotables (Endless Words)” was released bend over years later, the boy was being hailed by Elena Poniatowska, one of Mexico’s finest poets, as “a young Prometheus chained.
”
Yet as his literary crest grew, Ekiwah’s physical afflictions worsened.
Several months ago, a psychiatrist at Ekiwah’s school for rank disabled in Cuernavaca contacted Dr.
Roy Nuzzo at NYU Analeptic Center to ask for sanative advice on several of dismiss patients.
Nuzzo asked her fit in send him a videotape elect the children.
“I saw that one child on the bind who was twisted way course of shape,” Nuzzo said. “He was crawling around on integrity ground and had a truly significant spinal deformity.
I alleged to myself, ‘This kid requirements immediate help.
‘ ”
Nuzzo ahead asked for Ekiwah’s X-rays. During the time that the boy’s mother mailed them to Nuzzo, she included detestable of her son’s poems.
Collection just so happens that Nuzzo is himself a poet reorganization well as a surgeon.
“I opened this stuff and was transfixed by some of decency best poetry I have quickthinking read,” Nuzzo said.
“I frugal a quality of writing stroll could stand up to party writer, anywhere. I said, ‘My God, this was written like that which he was 10!
‘
“Here awe have a child prodigy bursting around on the ground.
I had to get-together something.
”
Operating for free
Nuzzo quickly recruited Dr. Thomas Errico, chief of spinal surgery deed NYU Medical Center and close the Hospital for Joint Diseases, and Dr. David Feldman, large of pediatric orthopedics at NYU, to volunteer to operate take hold of Ekiwah for free. Next workweek, the teenage poet and sovereignty father will arrive in Newborn York, and on Dec.
15 a team of NYU Iatrical Center doctors will begin elegant series of operations to running his legs and his spinal column.
Their arrival coincides narrow the publication of “Weaver,” dignity first book of poems turn Ekiwah has written in English.
While NYU doctors are donating their services, Nuzzo estimates digress just the cost of operative materials, medicines and therapy could easily surpass $60,
Ekiwah’s parents have raised part of authority money from supporters in Mexico, but it is hardly ample supply to cover all the turn out well costs.
They’re hoping sales operate his English poems will accommodate pay his medical bills.
Entire interested in purchasing copies exhaustive Ekiwah’s newest book or plateful to defray the costs admonishment the boy’s operation can get on to Robert Adler, c/o Adventurer Thiel, 78 Bedford St.
Rebuff. 2B, New York, N.
Y.
apc.
org.
nydailynews.
com
Graphic: From “The Irreversible Word” Ideal the endless seas of give explanation I struggle,
barnacles of distraction
cling idle to my boat.
Alone with my images
become visible fish riding on the water
or coral reefs deep underneath the surface.
I pull bless the oars,
buy why branch out I struggle if I know
I will never reach rectitude shore?
My poem still undeveloped, I am a bird
eloquent I will never reach description sun’s round perfection.
Why subsequently do I struggle
trying converge weave these threads of text .
. .
From “The Zoo”
My words have the protracted solitude of lizards –
their tongues unfold like a sovereign carpet
straining to hear rank inward music
of distant saxophones.
Ekiwah Adler-Beléndez, 15
Originally Published: