Meet Reina, a 27-year-old woman from Guatemala. Reina is a patient with our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). Reina is excited to be pregnant again after three miscarriages, and one child who died a few days after birth. She is very worried that the same thing is going to happen again, and that is why she came to our clinic to receive prenatal care. She is now five months pregnant, and preliminary lab tests indicate that she is likely to have a rare autoimmune disorder that causes her blood to clot too easily, which typically results in preeclampsia and fetal death.
Reina earns money by weaving traditional mayan blouses (güipiles), which she sells in the nearby market. Unfortunately, she is unable to weave due to her condition, which requires that she is in bedrest. Her husband works in the fields as a day laborer, and does not receive a consistent income. Reina loves to eat black beans with fried chicken, and mangoes. She is determined to do anything possible to make sure her baby is born, even though she is scared of going to the hospital because of the stories she has heard about discrimination against indigenous Mayan people like herself.
This treatment will give Reina the high-quality medical care she requires to prevent another miscarriage and keep her own condition stable. She will receive obstetric ultrasounds, lab exams, and consultations with a obstetrician in a hospital, as well as accompaniment and translation services so she can receive care in her native Kaqchikel. This treatment will allow Reina to go to the hospital to give birth, giving her and her baby the best chance at survival.
“We are happy because we think that this time we can make sure the baby is born,” Reina said. “I am really taking care of myself so I can ensure that my baby is born without complications.”