Wuqu’ Kawoq

Guatemala

Hospital de Chimeltenango

Patients at Hospital de Chimeltenango

Josefina is a 35-year-old woman from Guatemala. Five years ago, she learned that she has diabetes. Since the diagnosis, she and our medical partner's team have worked hard to manage her condition. Eight months ago, Josefina got married, and now she and her husband are expecting their first baby. The couple is thrilled and wants to do everything they can to ensure a healthy pregnancy and their future child’s well-being. Because diabetes during pregnancy can be extremely dangerous, Josefina needs support to keep herself and her baby safe. High blood sugar during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy can lead to birth defects and increase the risk of miscarriage. Babies sometimes grow larger than normal in the womb and have a higher risk of obesity. Many diabetic patients who normally control their disease with medication may need to take insulin during pregnancy. If left untreated, diabetes can lead to early death or disability. If not monitored closely in pregnancy, diabetes can increase the risk of miscarriage and cause infants to be born with birth defects. Every day, Josefina wakes up early to weave and sell the elaborate traditional shirts unique to her village. However, neither she nor her husband earns enough money to pay for the extensive monitoring and treatment Josefina needs during pregnancy. $822 in Watsi funding will pay for Josefina to have the care she needs. Treatment begins on February 3, 2017. An ultrasound and basic lab work will allow her team to monitor her glucose levels and the baby’s growth. Josefina will receive medicine and meet with a diabetes nurse every month to check her blood glucose levels. A physician familiar with her case will monitor her throughout her pregnancy. Close monitoring will give Josefina her best opportunity to have a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. "My dream is that my baby's birth goes well and without complications," shares Josefina. Let's help make that happen!

$822raised
Fully funded

35-year-old Maria has been a patient in a diabetes program for over two years now, and recently found out that she was pregnant. Since she is diabetic, blood sugar control as well as regular appointments with an obstetrician in a hospital are incredibly important to prevent life-threatening complications. She is now about 23 weeks pregnant, entering into the most risky period of her pregnancy. Maria lives with her spouse, her son, and her mother-in-law in a small adobe house with a tin roof. She is from a rural village in the mountains of Guatemala. This means that she lives far away from a hospital, and speaks little Spanish, the only language spoken in hospitals. She weaves traditional Maya blouses. She also raises rabbits and chickens to be able to buy food when her husband is without work. Her husband works as a day laborer, making little money each day there is work. This means that the costs of transport to the hospital, medications, and labs are far out of reach for their family. $281 will provide transport for Maria from her house to the hospital, translation and advocacy services for her while she's in the hospital, and the labs and medications she needs to prevent life-threatening complications for her and her baby. A medical team will work with her to make a birth plan so her and her family will feel comfortable going to the hospital to give birth, allowing her to receive life-saving care. Maria says, "I am happy with my family and my new pregnancy. I will do my part so that everything turns out well."

$281raised
Fully funded

Meet Reina, a 27-year-old woman from Guatemala. Reina is a patient with our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). Reina is excited to be pregnant again after three miscarriages, and one child who died a few days after birth. She is very worried that the same thing is going to happen again, and that is why she came to our clinic to receive prenatal care. She is now five months pregnant, and preliminary lab tests indicate that she is likely to have a rare autoimmune disorder that causes her blood to clot too easily, which typically results in preeclampsia and fetal death. Reina earns money by weaving traditional mayan blouses (güipiles), which she sells in the nearby market. Unfortunately, she is unable to weave due to her condition, which requires that she is in bedrest. Her husband works in the fields as a day laborer, and does not receive a consistent income. Reina loves to eat black beans with fried chicken, and mangoes. She is determined to do anything possible to make sure her baby is born, even though she is scared of going to the hospital because of the stories she has heard about discrimination against indigenous Mayan people like herself. This treatment will give Reina the high-quality medical care she requires to prevent another miscarriage and keep her own condition stable. She will receive obstetric ultrasounds, lab exams, and consultations with a obstetrician in a hospital, as well as accompaniment and translation services so she can receive care in her native Kaqchikel. This treatment will allow Reina to go to the hospital to give birth, giving her and her baby the best chance at survival. "We are happy because we think that this time we can make sure the baby is born," Reina said. "I am really taking care of myself so I can ensure that my baby is born without complications."

$377raised
Fully funded