Late in the afternoon last Tuesday, Hope of Life was informed that there was a young girl suffering, near death miles deep in the mountains, and that she was in desperate need of help. The pictures and information we received were enough to make anyone weak. Her condition was severe, with hope dwindling by the moment
Carlos wastes no time when it comes to rescuing babies; his heart beats for these children as if they were his own, and within seconds he has made the decision to rescue this little girl. Leaving far before daybreak, driving many hours into the mountains, and hiking 5 miles to her home staff members found a devastating scene; the young girl, bloated with water and severely malnourished, skin literally peeling off her entire body, was crying in pain.
Hope of Life staff quickly wrapped her up, helped her mother pack a few essentials and started down the mountain. A team sped from the Hope of Life campus to meet them, the whole trip taking nearly 8 hours. As the truck pulled up to the ambulance and the mother handed her little girl to Carlos, it was clear that Hope of Life reached her just in time. After quick evaluation, and the measurement of her vitals, there is little doubt that she would have survived the next 24 hours.
At just eight years old, she is battling against severe malnutrition, disease, and the damage of not having access to adequate medical attention. Her body has been nearly destroyed by a lack of protein in her diet, and just seeing her is enough to break the hardest of hearts and those who have no concern for the welfare of the children in these mountains.
St. Luke’s was reached at just the right time. As the team brought this girl in, all that was heard was her cry for her mother, “Mama, Mama, Mama…” over and over again. The tears could not be stopped as we desperately prayed for healing for Ana Esmeralda.
Today, just 6 days after word reached us about Ana, she is already improving exponentially. Her skin is starting to heal, and her body is accepting the nourishment and medicines. What was once just hope that she would be healthy again is now an ever growing reality, and her sweet Mama has more reasons to smile these days.
There are hundreds waiting in the mountains to be rescued, to be given the care they are so desperate for. Hope of Life is fighting the war against Hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Even though sometimes it is difficult to face the battles that are lost, Carlos and his staff are committed to saving one life at a time, until it can be said:
“There are no more hungry children of Guatemala”.