Clinic Santiago Sacatepéquez

Nelson is a 16-year-old teenager from Guatemala. He lives with his mother and eight siblings and is an active teenager, but his medical condition has restricted his attendance at school. Nelson began to get seizures and was diagnosed with epilepsy three years ago, and has just recently been diagnosed with asthma, as well. Due to his breathing difficulties, every time Nelson yawns he feels faint and dizzy. Nelson loves to play soccer with his friends, but if he plays too long his heart starts to race and he passes out. Nelson sought treatment through our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, where doctors want to provide medication to keep his airways open and help him breathe with ease. On May 18, Nelson will receive treatment for his acute asthma. The requested $422 pays for physician consultations and medications. Nelson’s mother says, “I am happy and thankful to the institution for the support my son will receive. I hope that through this his health will get better. May God bless you for your hard labor so that my son can get healthier.”

Anderson is a three-month-old baby boy who lives with his mother, grandmother, and siblings in rural Guatemala. Anderson was born a healthy baby, but because his mother cannot produce breast milk, he has become severely malnourished, a condition that occurs from consuming too little protein, calories, and nutrients. In the short term, malnutrition means Anderson has little energy to grow, and that his immune system is weak, leaving him vulnerable to diseases that could further compromise his growth. If left untreated, he may also face the long-term consequences of malnutrition, such as increased risk of chronic illness and a lowered IQ. Concerned for his well-being, his mother took Anderson to our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, for treatment. Beginning May 13, Anderson will receive formula to replace his mother's breast milk, micronutrients, and food supplementation, as well as regular growth monitoring. Community health workers will also teach his mother how to create a nutrient rich diet using limited resources. The $1,162 requested will cover all expenses of his continued treatment, allowing him to gain weight, strengthen his immune system, and catch up with other children his age. Anderson’s mother says, “I'm looking forward to my son getting the formula and gaining weight. I am very worried about him.”

Basilia is a 66-year-old chicken farmer who lives with her husband in rural Guatemala. Basilia needs treatment for acute diabetes. Her diabetes has been uncontrolled and untreated in the past, and has resulted in frequent urination, weight loss, hunger, fatigue, and blurred vision. She has already lost sight in her left eye because of it, and is beginning to lose sight in her right eye, as well. If left untreated, acute diabetes can also cause cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, and an early death. Seeking assistance, Basilia and her husband visited our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq. She is scheduled to begin receiving insulin and taking an educational course to better manage her diabetes on April 24. She is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her ongoing treatment. Once her blood glucose levels go down, Basilia will no longer be at risk of dangerous fluctuations in her blood sugar readings and her energy will improve. The treatment will lessen the complications Basilia currently experiences due to her diabetes, and may provide her the opportunity to have surgery in the future to save her remaining eye. Basilia says, “I hope to recover the vision in my right eye because each day I am losing my sight more and more and I cannot leave my house anymore. I want to be able to continue taking care of my animals.”

Maria is a 50-year-old woman from Guatemala. She has had diabetes for eight years, but she only began treatment five years ago. Her diabetes has advanced, and she has been experiencing blurry vision and dizziness, which prevent her from working. She needs insulin to manage her blood sugar and prevent serious complications, such as kidney failure, high blood pressure, and cataracts. Fortunately, she began treatment on November 28. Maria is a single mother to two sons. She lives with them in an adobe house with a tin roof, and she supports her family by selling fruits and vegetables in a large market. Maria leaves for the market at 4 am every day, and she often stays until dark. Despite her hard work, she cannot afford this $1,500 treatment. This treatment will protect Maria from the effects of uncontrolled diabetes. She will receive the insulin, blood pressure medications, and education she needs to adequately manage her diabetes for years to come. Once her glucose levels normalize, she will no longer be at risk of dangerous blood sugar highs. She will have renewed energy to return to work, and her quality of life will improve.

Andrea is a five-month-old girl from Guatemala, who was born 13 weeks early because her mother had preeclampsia. She had to be on a ventilator the first two and a half months of her life. She has struggled to grow since then, and doctors have been puzzled with her case. First it was believed that she had sepsis, then lactose intolerance, but now her diagnosis is clearer. She has a rare genetic condition called Isovaleric Acidemia. This means that she cannot metabolize certain amino acids, meaning they accumulate in her body, reaching toxic levels. The public health care system in Guatemala in unequipped to handle her case, since her condition is so rare. If she does not receive treatment, she will likely pass away. Andrea is the youngest of two children. Her older brother, Diego, loves her a lot and often plays with her, showing her toys. Andrea's mother says that Andrea is a fighter--in her few months of life, she has spent half of it in intensive care, and has received 7 blood transfusions. Although her parents work hard to give her the best they can, her mother is unable to work because of Andrea, and her father cannot make enough money to purchase the extremely expensive formula that Andrea needs to consume to survive. This treatment, which costs $1016, will save Andrea's life. Right now, she is far too small for her age, and is struggling to gain weight. Not only will her physical strength improve with special formula, but her immune system will grow stronger, giving her body what it needs to fight off potentially-deadly sicknesses in her weakened state. Andrea's improvement will give her family hope that she can one day go to school, and be able to live with and manage her condition. "I hope that God allows the miracle of her recovery from this condition that she has," Andrea's mother shares. "I want her to be like a normal child her age, to be able to eat, go to parties with her friends, and not have restrictions."

“We long for the day when Alex is healthy. We hope he grows up to be healthy and intelligent,” shares Alex’s parents. Meet Alex, a 10-month-old infant from Guatemala. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us, “Alex lives with his family in a rural mountainous community in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. Alex's mother works weaving traditional maya blouses and his father works in the fields harvesting and cultivating corn, a job that does not provide a stable income to the family. Although both of his parents want the best for him, they often don't make more than $2 per day, which makes it impossible to give him even one fruit, vegetable, or egg every day,” Alex was diagnosed with acute malnutrition. “Alex is below the average height and the average weight for his age,” WK reports, ”He currently is not consuming enough calories and enough quality foods. As a result his physical growth is stunted, and we worry his mental growth will be stunted as well.” As a result of food insecurity and marginalization, indigenous Guatemalan villages have the highest rates of stunting in the world. In addition to growth stunting, malnutrition can lead to lower IQ, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. $512 will fund the treatment Alex needs to address his nutritional deficit and improve his low energy and subsequent limited mental potential. This involves micronutrient and food supplementation, deworming medication to rid Alex of a parasitic infection, and nutrition education for his parents. With these combined efforts, Alex will recoup his weight and height and strengthen his immune system, laying the foundation for a healthier future.

A few years ago, 45-year-old Juana suffered a terrible accident. She was using an electric mill to grind corn to make dough for tortillas, she slipped, and her hair got caught in the motor. Most of her scalped was ripped off her head, and since then she has not been able to close her right eye. She has been having increased secretions from her eye because of this, and has been causing her pain. Juana lives with her husband and 8 children in a humble one-room house in Guatemala. She leaves every morning before dawn to look for wood to chop and sell. During the afternoons, she weaves traditional Maya blouses which she also sells in the local market. Juana has been very sad, because she cannot afford even simple eye drops to reduce her eye inflammation, which has been making it hard for her to sleep. Sometimes, her family has so little money that they do not eat. For $489, treatment will give Juana the eye drops and medical attention she needs to resolve her eye inflammation. She will be given education on how to best care for her eye and eyelid, to prevent future infections and, lessen her pain. "I am hopeful that I will feel better soon," Juana said. "I appreciate the support."

“Josue loves to play with little plastic cars on the patio of his house,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). At 14 months old, Josue is the youngest of seven children. His mother cares for the children at home while his father has a construction job to support the family financially. “Josue has asthma,” reports WK. “Since he was born he has been unable to be very active because of frequent attacks. His mother is constantly afraid that one day he will stop breathing because the attacks are so strong and she feels there is nothing she can do.” Asthma is a condition affecting the lungs. Sensitivity in the lungs causes frequent spasms that make it difficult to breath regularly. If Josue’s asthma goes untreated, he will continue to experience these attacks, which could worsen over time. To treat Josue’s asthma, doctors will provide him with a nebulizer, a device that allows him inhale medicine to improve his lung function. This treatment will help prevent Josue’s asthma attacks and treat them when they happen, so Josue can be active and play with other children without worrying about an attack. “Basically, this treatment will give Josue the opportunity to just be a child,” shares WK. $595 will pay for the nebulizer and medication Josue needs. His mother is looking forward to the changes the treatment will make on Josue’s life. “I am so sad his lungs are weak,” she shares. “They hold him back so much. I hope you will help us.”