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MAP International | March 29, 2018

Seeing Miracles in Guatemala

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Miracles happen every day, change your perception of what a miracle is, and you'll see them all around you.  Jon Bon Jovi    

The miracle standing in front of nurse Joanne Langone was hard to see. It had been a long day of treating patients in El Rodeo, Guatemala in the southwest region of the country. Traveling with her church on a medical mission trip, Joanne was amazed by the number of people who visited the clinic over seven days - nearly 1800.

But it was the single mother who walked in with her two children who caught Joanne’s eye. Her three-year-old son, Enrico, was weak from days of frequent vomiting. Dehydrated and tired, Enrico had to be carried by his mother.

He had a parasitic disease. Her young daughter likely had one too.

Enrico

It’s hard to imagine worrying about parasitic diseases in the US. But in resource-poor regions of the world - they can be deadly.

But that day the young mother was fortunate. Joanne and her team treated Enrico with anti-worm medication and provided Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) from MAP.  The medical team chose to treat the entire family for parasites; they provided vitamins to rebuild their strength.

As Joanne shared with MAP:

"It's not a dramatic story, but it is representative of the many little miracles that occurred each day of the clinic. Lives were changed for the better a little bit at a time. Thank you, MAP for helping to make our trip possible.”

If you’re wondering if a gift to MAP can help save lives, consider this: dehydration is one of the leading causes of death for children in developing countries who are suffering from diarrhea or vomiting. The cure is ORS which stabilize and rehydrate a weakened person. Especially for children, ORS can mean the difference between life and death.

A gift of $50 can help 500 children.

As we approach the miracle of Easter, let us remember that miracles can be both big and small. If you change your perception, you can see them all around you.

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