“I want the world for my children. I am alone, and at times it is hard, but not impossible,” shares Alicia, a 33-year-old woman from Guatemala. “However, now, with this [diabetes], I am afraid of what will happen to me, but more importantly what will happen to my babies.”
Alicia is a single mother of six children who. She “supports her family by cleaning houses, washing clothes, and ironing,” reports our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). In her free time, she likes to embroider blouses and sashes.
Alicia was diagnosed with diabetes one year ago, but has not been able to afford medication since then. According to WK, if left untreated, “diabetes can cause extreme weakness, exhaustion, vision loss, kidney failure, permanent nerve damage, and heart and blood disease.” As the sole caretaker of her family, Alicia is relied upon to earn an income.
For $450, WK will be able to provide Alicia with medication and education to manage her diabetes. Laboratory studies will be performed to test Alicia’s glucose levels and track her progress, and she will receive a diabetes educator and case manager.
“She will avoid the negative permanent effects of uncontrolled glucose levels, and will thus be able to work and provide for her family for years to come,” WK adds.