Miguel needs medical help

Miguel is a sweet member of our elderly program. He lives with his brother and it is always a delight to visit these two gentlemen because they are so friendly. Recently, however, Miguel has been having health problems with his prostate. We took him to the doctor who prescribed various medicaitons for him, which will hopefully help him greatly. However, Miguel also needs a prostate exam. The cost of his consult, his medications, and his future exam is $173. Please consider helping Miguel with his health problems.

To make a one-time donation to help Miguel, please go to Donate Now and scroll down.  Enter your donation in the "Other $" box.  In the "Details" box, write "A24 Medical". Thank you so much for caring for our elderly!

Great news for brothers Manuel and Miguel!

We're so happy to report that Manuel and Miguel have received enough money to have much-needed repairs done on their home! You may remember that these sweet brothers were forced to leave their home during our last rain storm because of flooding. Thanks to generous donors, we will repair the damage from last year's storm and build a ramp/blockade to prevent future flooding. Thank you so much for caring for these brothers!

Our elderly need your help

The weather is getting cooler here in Guatemala, and those who are living in delapidated houses are feeling these cooler temperatures the most.  As a result, we have many needs among our elderly.  If you would like to give a general donation to our Elderly Care Program, please go to Donate Now, and scroll down.  Enter your donation in the "Other $" box.  In the "Details" box, write "Elderly  Care Program".

Or if you would like to donate to a specific elderly person in our program, please read below to learn of some our most recent needs:

Juana Tereta is getting more and more weak, she cannot sit up in bed anymore.  She is losing weight and doesn't have much of an appetite.  Because it is difficult for her to eat, we'd like to buy her a supply of Ensure milk.  This will help give her vitamins and minerals and hopefully strengthen her.  We'd like to give her a large supply of Ensure which costs $31.  If you'd like to make a one-time donation for Juana, please go to Donate Now, and scroll down.  Enter your donation in the "Other $" box.  In the "Details" box, write "A73 Medical".

Manuel and Miguel are very sweet brothers who have been in our program for a while.  Thanks to your donations, their niece is able to take care of them every day.  However, with the colder weather coming, they are in need of two blankets that cost $50.  They also need more nutritious food.  To give them a large supple of Ensure costs $62, and to feed them warm soups and atole (a nutritious Guatemalan form of oatmeal) will cost $35.  The cost to provide warmth and food for these brothers is $147 total.   If you'd like to make a one-time donation, please go to Donate Now, and scroll down. Enter your donation in the "Other $" box. In the "Details" box, write "A24 Medical" to donate to Miguel or "A25 Medical" to donate to Manuel.

Santiago cannot get out of bed alone, so he lays in bed almost all day every day.  However, his bed consists of a frame and thin straw mat.  Santiago's body is aging and he is often in pain.  He is in desperate need of a mattress so that he can lay in bed and at least have a few moments free from pain.  To give him a mattress costs $45.  Also, as the weather is getting colder, Santiago needs a blanket which costs $25.  We'd like to give him a supply of Ensure so that he receives proper nutrients, which costs $31.  To give Santiago all of these necessities costs $101 total.   If you'd like to make a one-time donation for Santiago, please go to Donate Now, and scroll down. Enter your donation in the "Other $" box. In the "Details" box, write "A75 Medical".

Thank you so much for caring for our elderly!  We strive to give them dignity and comfort as they age, and we can't do it without your help!

If you have any questions, email us at familyaid@mayanfamilies.org

Update: Manuel and Miguel need help!

Update on Manuel and Miguel

These two sweet, elderly brothers are in a difficult situation. They both have disabilities and are in no state to take care of themselves. They are both in our Elderly Care Program, which means they receive one nutritious meal per day. Since they are not able to feed themselves, we always leave the food with their sister. However, we recently discovered that their sister does not give them the food everyday, sometimes only giving them tortillas.

Their niece brought them to the office last week because she is really worried about their health. They are losing weight and are constantly sick due to malnutrition.

Their niece has her own family and needs to work to support her kids, but she would be more than happy to take care of her uncles if we could help her financially.

If you would like to help these two elderly brothers, please go to Donate Now, scroll down to the "other" field, and write A24 and/or A25 in the "Details" box. It will cost U$100 per month to have the niece take care of them full-time, but any amount would be very helpful! If you have any questions, please send an email to dina@mayanfamilies.org.

Thank you!!!
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Original Post

Manuel and Miguel share a little room behind their niece and nephew's house. However, it is an old building and the roof, which is made of tin sheets, leaks when it rains. Now that the rainy season is on it's way, we would like to get the roof replaced so that they can stay dry and warm and so their room will not become damp and moldy, which could easily lead to illness in both of them considering the state of their health. Manuel has an indwelling catheter and the skin around its entry point occasionally gets infected. It is vitally important that he has a dry clean place to live to reduce the risk of infection. Miguel is also at high risk of illness from a damp and moldy room as he can no longer walk and spends all his time in his bed.

Miguel gratefully receiving his donated mattress

To remove the old roof and install a brand new one will cost $130.
If you are able to contribute to this amount please go to the donate now page and enter A24 and/or A25 with the instructions to fix the roof.
To read more about Manuel and Miguel please review older blog posts here.

Thank you for your help in keeping these two men comfortable and healthy!

Manuel Miguel and Maximiliana

Manuel receiving his new mattress!

Update May 6th
Thanks so much to generous donations, Manuel got a brand new mattress for his bed. He is so grateful!!
Thank you to those who made this possible.


Update Feb 18th 2011--Manuel Needs a Mattress!

Manuel's bug-ridden mattress

Manuel's thin cotton mattress is dirty and flattened with years of use, and we found out this week that it is infested with fleas or bedbugs.  We can get Manuel a new mattress for just $45.  If you would like to help make Manuel's nights more comfortable, please go to Donate Now, and enter the amount of your donation in the "Other" box, with "A25 mattress" in the description.  Thank you!










Update Feb 14th 2011 
We distributed vitamins to Manuel, Miguel and Maximiliana today and we asked them how they are and if they are in need of anything. They are very grateful to be receiving the Mayan Families lunch everyday. Although Miguel has been bedbound since an accident at work years ago, he is continuing to do his exercises from bed - to ensure he doesn't get bed sores or suffer too much muscle deterioration. This same accident resulted in brain damage as well leaving him unable to walk. He has since been unable to form sentences, but he is always delighted to see us. Manuel has been doing much better with his health concerns, but we are keeping an eye on him and his niece is always attentive to his medical and health needs. If you would like to make a donation to Manuel, Miguel and Maximiliana to ensure we can continue bringing them lunches and provide for their medicines please go to the donate now page, scroll down to the other box and enter A24 for Miguel, A25 for Manuel, and/or A26 for Maximiliana. Thank you for your support.

* December 9, 2010 Update *

We have received $100 for Manuel's initial examinations and medications.

We're now awaiting some lab results to find out what the next steps should be and will be sure to keep you posted! Thank you so much for your support.

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Manuel on December 8th

We have just been informed that Manuel Parajon, one of our Elderly Care Program members, is suffering from a very badly inflamed prostate. He has been using a catheter for two years, and it has recently been filling up with blood. The family rushed him to the public health clinic, where doctors recommended ultrasound examinations and lab tests as soon as possible in order to determine the source of the problem and whether Manuel needs an operation.

Manuel is a very sweet 78 year old man. He lives with his sister Maximiliana and his brother Miguel, who are both also in our Elderly Care Program. Manuel was born with a mental disorder (we are not told what) and cannot speak, but he always communicates such joy with huge (ear to ear!) grins and laughter. He loves Mayan Families visits, and his reaction when we come at lunchtime always brings us and his family to smiles, and often to laughs. For the past 40 years Manuel has been living with Maximiliana. He was never married and does not have children; Maximiliana, Manuel, and Maximiliana’s children are his closest family. Maximiliana’s 38-year-old daughter, Pati, also takes care of Manuel and Miguel, especially now that Maximiliana is finding herself with less energy than in her younger years.

Manuel just last week, receiving a donation of towels, soap, and a blanket. There is an obvious, dramatic difference between him then and now (see the first photo).

Manuel started having prostate problems two years ago. He has been using a catheter since then. He used to take medicine, but since Pati got very sick 4 months ago with major hernia, the family hasn’t been able to afford it for him.

The past few days have been the first that we have seen Manuel not smiling. He urgently needs medical attention, but Pati’s illness has drained the family of their resources and they simply cannot pay for it—In this family of 15, there are 11 dependents, including 8 children and 2 very unwell adults, and only 3 adults earning very low and very inconsistent wages (about $20/month each). Please help Manuel get examined and treated as soon as possible. We estimate that $100 will cover preliminary examinations and temporary medications to ensure that Manuel remains stable until further treatment, and we'll update the blog as soon as we have more exact cost information. To make a donation, please click here and enter “Elderly Care, Manuel Parajon” in the Other box. We will be sure to keep you updated on his condition. Thank you so much for your time and support.

Miguel on November 9th, receiving some clothes donations, and very excited about it!