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Aid and Relief3 min read

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Surgical kits save lives in rural Guatemala

Emily Towns
May 23, 2019

At least half of the world’s population does not have access to essential health services, according to a 2017 report from the World Bank and World Health Organization. It seems impossible that we would still be facing this problem in a time when we’ve had more medical breakthroughs than ever before.

But in poor communities in Guatemala, proper medical care is far out of reach. Vaccines, surgical equipment, and medicine cost money — money that clinics in these communities simply do not have.

That’s where you come in.

Medical supplies that are ready to ship to communities around the world are sitting in our warehouse — but we need your help to send them. Because these supplies were donated, every $1 you give actually multiplies 33X, providing even more lifesaving equipment to doctors like Roberto.

You help doctors treat their patients

At the age of 27, Roberto Mejia already knows his life’s purpose. He wants to save lives and serve some of the neediest people in the world. As a trained pediatrician, he has the knowledge and the skills he needs to treat almost any illness. What he doesn’t always have is the right equipment.

Roberto lives and works in a small, remote village in Guatemala. He is dedicated to serving the people there, but without the right tools, it has not been easy.

“The lack of equipment and materials has kept me from being able to better serve my patients,” he said.

This situation is made worse because communities like his also lack the resources they need to stay healthy. This includes access to clean water, making waterborne diseases and parasites a common problem. Poor diet and malnutrition weaken the immune system, making it easier to contract life-threatening illnesses.

When these sicknesses occur, families bring their children to doctors like Roberto. Far too often, there is little they can do.

But because of donors who helped ship a container of surgical kits to his hospital, Roberto and his fellow doctors are able to treat their patients better than ever before. These surgical kits contained necessary hygiene materials like gloves, coveralls, hospital gowns, respirators, hoods, boot covers, breathing tubes, and more. Because of these tools, Roberto is able to care for his patients without worrying about the spread of infection.

“As doctors, we are grateful when a donation comes to our hospitals because we do not have the means to supply the hospitals,” Roberto said. “Thanks to you, we now have surgical kits which bless us to have better service and hygiene with our patients.”

You help communities flourish

When a community is healthy, it is able to flourish in many other ways. This is why Roberto became a doctor in the first place!

When you are able to treat patients, provide vaccinations, and care for the general health of a community, you help it thrive. But while Roberto’s hospital may have the tools to help the needy, many hospitals in Guatemala and other poor communities around the world do not.

That’s why your help is so crucial.

Today, your $30 can help ship $990 worth of lifesaving medical equipment, surgical kits, food staples, and more. By helping ship these containers, you come alongside doctors like Roberto and help the families in these communities grow healthy and strong.

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