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.”
