Friends and family,
Yesterday, we sent Maria, our 15 yr old patient with AIDS, to a home in her same community. She will be cared for by the president of Pastoral Social of our Parish, a single woman who lives with her aging parents.
Pastoral Social of our parish also will look for a solution for housing for this family and construct a simple home in another area than their present, unsafe, inadequate dwelling. Maria was smiling and content when she left the mission. She is excited with her ability to embroider and she quickly does the small projects we have provided. It is incredible how she mastered this art having never before embroidered. We hope to find her and instructor as we feel she could earn some income for herself through embroidery. Her mother and sister and other cousins are from the same community, but a short distance away. She will have frequent contact with them. She will return to the Clinic to be taken to her medical appointent and the AIDS CLINIC. She continues to receive psychological support from the Mayan Psychologist, Angel, who frequently assists us in these cases. The clinic will supply basic foods for the family caring for her. Thank you for helping us care for MARIA and other patients afflicted with AIDS. The state of Suchitepequez, where the clinic is located, is third in 22 states for incidence of AIDS.
The Catholic Church is very involved in accompaniement with compassion for persons living with AIDS. Two of our auxiliar nurses, Maria and Mari Elena, receive classes on AIDS monthly,
for a year and will be given a certificate from the University providing these courses, through Pastoral of Health of the Catholic Church. Lyncho, our Laboratory technician, represents the Pastoral health of the Diocese in a red of Institutions working to accompany and and find solutions and report statistics and problems for care and medicine from the Ministry of Health, for persons living with AIDS.
Yesterday, a woman from our parish, was transferred to Guatemala City Hospital, suffering complications of AIDS, while pregnant. Her husband recently returned from the US with this disease and passed it on to his wife; he then went back to the US. The babe died in utero before she could safely give birth by Caesarean. We will follow up with her care for AIDS when she returns home.
Health Care in this country is inadequate for the POOR and they do turn to the church for accompaniement. Thank YOU for walking and caring with us for these needs. You can donate on line to HELP US!!
Donate at www.helenadiocese.org Mention that it is for the CLINICA MAXEÑA.
Attatched are a photo of Maria, her mom, and younger sister, talking with the psychologist, ANGEL before she was discharged from the clinic in patient ward.
Also a photo of our laboratory Technician, Lyncho, our representative for AIDS. Lynch worked 25 years in the Hospital Laboratory and we feel blessed to have his committment and knowledge in the Clinica Maxeña. This photo shows the new microscope and microcentrifuge donated to the Clinica Maxeña Lab by a grant from the Diocese of Helena.
