Urgent Surgery for Emerita: Patient Referral Program

Imagine living for ten years with a debilitating and excruciatingly painful condition that prevented you from working, having full mobility, and any semblance of a normal life. Now, imagine that the barrier between this reality and a healthy, productive life was a mere $700.

Meet Emerita de Jesus Zambrano, a 64 year old mom of seven children from Yamaguare, a rural community in Honduras. During childbirth, Emerita suffered from a total uterine prolapse (the uterus descending into the vaginal canal) resulting in constant pain, infections, and an inability to control urine from leaking. The leaking urine has further led to constant itching, scars, and an embarrassing condition that makes it painful to walk. This is the nightmare that Emerita has endured for the past ten years.

Emerita personally approached Global Brigades during a Medical Brigade in her community in August, 2010. Since that time, Medical Brigades Director Dr. Jenny Narjera has tried to assist Emerita in receiving the care she needs. Global Brigades sent trucks twice to get Emerita from her community, but each time the river en route was impassable. Last week, our drivers were finally able to bring Emerita to Tegucigalpa to be fully evaluated by an OB/GYN. However, the day Emerita was taken to the hospital, the residents on staff were on strike and refused to do the evaluation. Dr. Jenny persisted in her dedication to Emerita, and took her to a private clinic where a doctor agreed to waive the surgical cost and only charge $700 for the anesthesiologist and nights in the hospital. Global Brigades is prepared to coordinate logistics and cover the costs for all transportation needed for pre and post care, which includes trips for: pre-procedural tests/analysis, the surgery, and check ups.

After ten years of suffering this is where Emerita de Jesus Zambrano personally needs your help so she does not have to continue living with this painful condition! Global Brigades is confident that our community of brigaders, friends, and supporters can help raise the $700 necessary to give Emerita the surgical procedure she desperately needs. You can help by spreading the word about this important fundraising campaign: forward and post this appeal to Facebook and email it to your personal networks. Any amount you can donate is critical in helping us reach our $700 target. Please consider donating $10, $20, or even $50 to help this mom in need. During this season, we cannot think of a better way to embrace the holiday spirit than by giving the gift of health.

Thank you for your support and dedication to helping communities in need.

-The Global Brigades Family

This fundraising campaign is part of Global Brigades’ new Patient Referral Program. The Patient Referral Program aims to provide care for patients seen during Medical Brigades that require ongoing care for chronic and severe conditions outside of the scope of our brigades. Brittany Estok, the Patient Referral Program Lead, is helping to facilitate the matching of patients to physicians in Honduras, and to coordinate transportation logistics and follow-up care. A critical component of this program is the development of a donation system to match sponsors with patients to fund this necessary care.