Meet Lizzy, an extraordinary woman who lives in a small village in western Panama. She has 13 children, and is also a grandmother, and a great grandmother, Lizzy is the matriarch of her family. Since bearing so many children, she now lives with an umbilical hernia - where parts of her intestines are pushed through the abdominal muscles and bulge out under her skin.
Every time Lizzy carries something, uses the bathroom, coughs, or even sits, she is in discomfort. If the blood supply to the herniated intestines is constricted, she is at risk of life-threatening complications.
Lizzy has been living with this condition for 10 years, and has not been able to afford proper medical care. For $1200, our medical partners at Floating Doctors will perform a surgical repair of her umbilical hernia and provide follow-up medical care. Her doctor says, “This care will allow Lizzy to be free from constant pain, free from the constant risk of strangulation of her bowels, and free to concentrate on spending time with her large family and continuing to be the guiding presence in their lives.”