Success Stories
Santos
Santos is a very bright 11-year-old boy who suffers from very serious and chronic asthma. Santos lives alone with his younger brother; their grandfather was living with them but he is much older and often has to leave for work. Unfortunately, Santos does not attend school. His story is a sad one in that his mother left with another man and his father left with another woman as well; they abandoned their children. But Santos’ neighbor gives him food and Neri entrusts the neighbor with Santos’ nebulizer, inhalers, and pills, and she says he takes very good care of him. If she thinks they need it, Neri sometimes buys Santos and his brother food, as well. Santos is one of the youngest chronic care patients seen by Neri. He receives inhalers, steroids, and other medication/equipment from PODEMOS.
Guadalupe
Guadalupe Sabillon is a 65 year old male that came to our clinic in Brisas de Libertad via a cart pulled by a bicycle with complaints of fatigue and heartburn. His neighbor accompanied him and reported that he had a stroke 1 year prior and could not move the right side of his body since. His neighbor reported that he did not have a wheelchair so the community constructed a cart attached to a bike to assist him in leaving his home. During our conversation with Guadalupe we learned that he was working in a palm tree when his stroke occurred and he fell 15-20 feet to ground and was taken to the hospital. He was admitted to the hospital for a day and told the next day that he would be discharged with no medication and could return for physical therapy. He was unable to get transportation from his village to the hospital for physical therapy and has had right sided hemiplegia since. On examination his right hand is contracted. His blood pressure was around 180/100 on arrival to our clinic. During the brigade he was able to meet with the physical therapist to teach both him and his neighbor some stretches that may help to him improve his contractures. Guadalupe was sent home with aspirin, antihypertensive medication and a statin to modify his risk for future stroke and is able to see our local nurse Neri on a monthly basis for medication refills.