Can you say, Grandmother of the year?! I had gotten a quick briefing from La Clínica’s social worker about a patient that I could interview for our TASH bi-monthly newsletter. She recounted to me that Juventina, 73 years old, Ejutla, had had 10 children, and was now the sole caretaker of her 82-year-old husband. He had been bed-ridden for two-years after being struck by a bull.  The social worker shared that Juventina would take care of her husband, washing him, changing diapers and providing a bucket for urine, as a bedpan is not a resource in rural villages. As I approached her hospital bed, I wondered if she would have been sunk in despair with all the challenge. Whoa, was I wrong! Juventina was full of life and spunk. If I had investigated the meaning of her name before the encounter and not after, I would not have been so surprised by her youthful attitude in the face of the current circumstances? Juventina does in fact translate to “youth or youthful.”

Even with the mask on, her hopeful spirit radiated during the conversation. She said that she was having a knee replacement because she could no longer handle the pain. She needed to manage the family farm of corn, beans, and squash. In addition, she raised chickens, turkeys, and other farm animals. She would need to sell some of the animals as the only source of income to cover urgent healthcare needs. Again, with the public hospitals only covering essential cases, it is most likely that they would have put off her surgery for months, despite the debilitating pain.

I asked her how she had come to find La Clínica. She said several years back that she had brought her granddaughter down to remove her gallbladder. It had been successful, and she appreciated the staff treatment and the low costs.  She said that La Clínica was now their hospital. As I told her to rest up for her next day surgery, she shared that “Primeramente Dios”, “God Willing” she would make a full recovery so she could continue to “echarle ganas”, best translated as “continue to work hard for her and her husband’s well-being.”    

For all of us who are grandparents, have living grandparents, or fond memories of our grandparents, we can only be inspired by the dedication, can-do attitude and faithfulness of this amazing woman. Her village is only accessible by dirt roads. Her only cash income is from selling her poultry animals. She is a living example of a person that TASH is able to help thanks to your continued donations.

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