Paula is a 77-year-old woman who suffered from gynecological issues for many years before finally getting relief. As a native to a low-income area in Guatemala, medical care simply wasn't an option for Paula until it was brought to her by the efforts of MAP and our partners.
As an elderly woman who could never attend the recommended regular gynecological checkups, Paula's health slowly declined over time. Simple issues that would have been quickly corrected spiraled into more complicated concerns that require surgery.
Unfortunately, many people in Guatemala don't receive regular care. Routine checkups tend to fall to the bottom priority for people like Paula who aren't able to find a doctor. This makes it easy for small and minor issues to cascade into larger problems when routine checkups are skipped. Women are particularly at risk of gynecological-related issues such as fibroids, ovarian cysts, and cervical cancer. Issues like fibroids and ovarian cysts can range from mildly uncomfortable to intensely painful. Of course, this can greatly impact a person's ability to go to school, work, or even perform routine tasks.
Paula never had the funds to get the gynecological surgery she needed, and even if she did, there was no guarantee that the rural hospitals in Guatemala would have the supplies or capability to perform it.
At MAP, our mission is to bring medicine and health supplies to those who need them the most. We recognize that there is a major gap in health care access and how it spans across the world. In some countries, there is free access to any type of healthcare needed, and then there are places like Guatemala, where a person's ability to acquire healthcare is incredibly uncertain.
Most doctors in Guatemala work in the city, leaving the needs rural areas unmet. Paula couldn't find a doctor in her area, and she had no transportation to receive care in a nearby village. On top of that, she didn't have the funds to pay for simple medical services, let alone a full-on surgery.
These factors create the perfect storm for individuals like Paula: no routine checkups, low income, no doctors within a close range, no ability to get to the doctors in surrounding areas, and health issues that have gone untreated for years.
When a free medical clinic was set up in Paula's town, she was hopeful that she might be able to find some answer to the healthcare issues she'd been living with for most of her life. Fortunately, she found an answer at that clinic.
A team of medical volunteers performed her surgery, and they utilized medical supplies provided by MAP. Our partner's surgical expertise combined with the sutures donated by MAP is what made this life-changing surgery a possibility. We are blessed to play a part in changing the lives of individuals like Paula. We are committed to providing desperately-needed medicine and health supplies to people worldwide, thanks to generous supporters who are passionate about our mission.
