LETTERING:
Tefé Regional Hospital
February 2021

LETTERING:
Carolina Kennedy
MSF doctor

VO + INT:
The work of being a doctor, being a nurse and being human in this whole process has been something that we focus on a lot.

We already know the patients by name, they are patients that we follow the family...

LETTERING:
Júlia Queiroz
MSF doctor

VO + INT:
A patient who really left a mark on me was Bonifácia.

She is a 109-year-old patient who is not from Tefé, but arrived in Tefé when she was 14 with her sister.

Her sister fell in love with the only teacher in town and ran away with him since it was a secret relationship and she couldn't stay in the city.

Bonifácia did not go to school and soon started to work in agriculture.

She learned how to read and write at the age of 100.

She is a patient with a beautiful story.

And she had her birthday here with us, now during COVID.

It was really cool because she is very lucid.

She said “Oh, since I'm not well I can't eat cake. But my dear, I have already eaten 108 cakes.”

She is always joking. It’s really something.

LETTERING:
Taiane Alencar
Hospital psychologist

VO + INT:
She remains strong and is a very dear patient because she is very emotionally stable.

SCENE:
- How old were you when you got this tattoo?
- A few years ago...
- Were you young?
- I was only a girl... an irresponsible one.
- Irresponsible, huh?
Stay strong and everything will be fine.

You are our sweetheart. We want this moment to happen, okay?

VO + INT:
So, the patient's hope helps a lot.

The more hopeful and the stronger the patient is, the easier it is for us to work, deal with and heal that patient.

LETTERING:
After a few days, Bonifácia de Oliveira was discharged and went home with her family.


Carolina Kennedy, MSF doctor.

VO:
Dona Bonifácia went home.

I’m so happy! 109-years-old, she overcame something impossible, went home and lived through one of the biggest struggles of her life.

She went happy, laughing.

It was such a happy moment!

LETTERING:
During the second wave of COVID-19 in Amazonas between November 2020 and March 2021, MSF supported Tefé Regional Hospital and helped establish protocols that allowed more comfort and better patient care.