Intibucá, Honduras – Hondurans may live in deep poverty, but they are a hardworking and resilient people. With over 60% of the country’s 10.2 million population living in poverty, life is hard for many. High rates of violence, limited access to basic social services, and climate-related hazards lead to high rates of food insecurity and malnutrition for the poor.
When Dr. Marielaina DeRose led her medical mission team to the Intibucá region of Honduras, she heard countless stories of tragedies, poverty, starvation, and hopelessness. She and her team used MAP medicine to serve nearly 1200 people during their trip, touching as many lives as they could in the time that they had.
One of the stories that touched Dr. DeRose was “Karina.” Karina came into the clinic with alarmingly high blood sugar levels due to her diabetes. She told the medical team that she usually gets her diabetes medication from the government for free, but often she runs out because she can’t make the required clinic appointments every 3 weeks. Missing a day of work to get to the doctor would plunge her into even more dire financial straits, and she was barely surviving as it was.
The team tried to offer changes to Karina’s diet to help manage her blood sugar, but she replied, “I am poor. I eat 2 tortillas for breakfast, 1 tortilla for lunch, and 1 tortilla and beans for dinner.” The depth of her poverty was heartbreaking.
“We told her she was doing the best she could,” said Dr. DeRose. The team did everything they could for Karina, sending her home with a large supply of diabetes medication from MAP, relieving her burden of having to miss work so frequently to get her refills.
Perhaps just as impactful was the time the team took to pray with Karina. Those simple bottles of MAP medicine, combined with the compassion and care of Dr. DeRose and her team, served as tangible reminders to Karina that she is not alone, and she is loved by the God who made her.
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