Hospital Nacional de Mazatenango

Lilian is a 22-year-old woman from Guatemala. She lives in a small agricultural community with her young son and husband. Her husband supports the family by working in the fields. Meanwhile, Lilian attends school and is one year away from earning a degree in accounting. This is her ultimate career goal. Lilian is currently putting school on hold to manage a complicated pregnancy. She has been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a condition that places the mother and baby at risk. Pre-eclampsia causes high blood pressure in pregnant women, and if left untreated, it can also lead to multi-organ dysfunction. Lilian needs close monitoring to keep her baby and herself safe. Our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK), will support Lilian throughout her pregnancy by providing regular blood work, health checks, and transport to the hospital. On March 20, Lilian will begin receiving this treatment from WK. Lilian feels much more excited about her future, knowing that health workers will do their very best to keep her and her baby healthy. She says, "People told me that because I got married young, I would never be able to fulfill my dreams. But, look at me! I am achieving my dreams for myself and my family. To reach your dreams, you have to search, and to search you have to believe.”

Norma is a 24-year-old woman who lives with her parents, husband, and daughter in a rented house in rural Guatemala. She likes taking care of the home, and she loves her daughter deeply. Norma is largely responsible for providing for herself and her daughter, so she has begun working as a street vendor. She sells tamales and other popular local foods in order to earn money. Norma is currently pregnant and needs medical support. She has been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a complication of pregnancy characterized by severe hypertension and edema that often leads to seizures. Therefore, Norma needs additional monitoring to take care of her health and the health of her baby. On February 3, Norma will begin to receive regular medical check-ups and will have a hospital delivery at our medical partner's care center, Hospital Nacional de Mazatenango. Should Norma develop more complications during her pregnancy or have an emergency during her delivery, she will receive the care she needs. Our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, is requesting $385, which will pay for the monitoring, medications, and hospital delivery necessary to ensure that Norma has a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Norma says, "My hope is to get better, and to have a good life with my family, and for everything to turn out well with my pregnancy. And I thank you for the support you are bringing me."

Meet René, a 41-year-old husband and father of five daughters. René is a patient with our medical partner in Guatemala, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). René is passionate about making sure his daughters go to school, and he loves building houses. “One month ago, René went to the doctor and he was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia. Now, he has intense pain, he has trouble walking, and can’t work. In order to get back to his daily life and continue to provide for his children, he needs to receive surgery to repair the hernia,” explains WK. $558 will fund a treatment for René's hernia. “This surgery will allow René to live without the burning pain that he has in his right side due to his hernia. He will be able to work, and therefore make enough money to send his daughters to school and provide his family with food. This treatment will allow him to avoid further discomfort and future complications due to his hernia. He and his family will be guided by our staff through the hospitalization process, and receive counseling. This repair surgery will fix his hernia, and allow him to live a normal life,” describes WK. “Life gives us surprises, and even with all these surprises we should never lose faith," René told the WK staff. "God will always open a door for us.”