Dominga has hope with help!

Sometimes, as a fund-raising volunteer, there are stories that are an easy to sell.  Young kids, parents struggling to raise young families, and even wise, frail, wise ancianos can pull at the heartstrings of strangers, even from thousands of miles away.  And then there are the tougher cases.  Single adults, or parents, not yet frail and helpless, whose children are grown.  Many older indigenous men and women tend to be stoic in front of a camera, and the donations come slower when they, rather than their children or their parents, are in danger.  These cases are always the hardest as a volunteer, because from a few feet away it is always easy to feel real, wrenching tragedy, even when you know it will be near impossible to communicate.
Dominga is one such case.  She is just 50 years old, and a mother seven times.  She has a cancerous tumor in her stomach, and though it is slow-growing and curable, she cannot live if it is not removed.  A wonderful medical NGO, Wuqu' Kawoq, has been working along with Mayan Families to care for Dominga, but the surgery she needs will still cost $1670.  The tumor has made her very ill, and she has been admitted to the hospital on an emergency basis, but things are at an impasse until she--or we--can raise the money for her surgery. 
After struggling through poverty all their lives, Dominga and her husband, Juan, have managed to keep their youngest children, Rodrigo, 13, and Ana Patricia, 11, in school with the help of Mayan Families.  They are the first in their families to learn to read and write, and Dominga has worked hard for many years in hopes that they would have this chance.  This Mother's Day, I hope that you will consider making a donation, big or small, to make sure that Dominga is here to see her children graduate.  I can't offer a beautiful, sad picture of an innocent face, but I hope that you will see in Dominga a difficult but dignified life--a life worth saving.
If you would like to Donate to Dominga's care, please go to Donate Now and scroll down.  Enter your donation in the Other $ box.  In the Details box, write #41 Dominga Medical.  Even a small donation will bring us one step closer to preventing this tragedy.

http://mayanfamilies.org/DonateOnline

Dominga

Dominga is the mother of two of our sponsored students, Rodrigo,13 and Ana Patricia, 11 and has been very ill.  For years, the family did not know what was wrong with her and very recently was told she was dying.  However, the family recently received hope that Dominga's illness is a slow-growing, curable cancer in her stomach.  She just started treatment and last Monday was admitted to the hospital of a cancer center in Guatemala City for emergency surgery.  She needs to have the tumor from her stomach removed as soon as possible, but her family is unable to pay for her care.  After a week in the hospital, she is finally able to be operated on but the surgery she needs has a total cost of $1670. 
Dominga's possibilities to continue treatment depend on whether or not we are able to raise these funds.  Her cancer is curable, but the exams and treatments she needs are very expensive.  Dominga and her family struggle to cover even their basic expenses and even though there are working family members, they will never be able to come up with the money for her treatments.  If 23 people contribute $75, we will raise more than enough to cover this surgery and give hope to a very beautiful family.
Please help us to save the life of this mother who is only 50 years old!
Here is the link to the blog post about Dominga and photos of her family: http://familyaidprogram.blogspot.com/2012/05/update-domingas-cancer-is-curable.html
Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES
a registered 501.(c).(3) Non Profit Charity

http://familyaidprogram.blogspot.com/2012/05/update-domingas-cancer-is-curable.html

Today in Guatemala is Dia del Madre or Mother's Day.

Today in Guatemala is Dia del Madre or Mother's Day.

It is a big day here!

Celebrations have been going on all week.  

All the schools have celebrations...children making crafts and then the big day when their mothers come, there is food and activities!

All 7 of the Mayan Families pre-schools have been busy this week. 

Monday our pre school in San Jorge celebrated with a lunch for the mothers.

Yesterday our pre-school in San Andres celebrated with their mothers...the children made beautiful baskets for their mothers and they all wore traditional clothing and danced!

Wednesday they also celebrated in El Barranco!

Today they are celebrating in the San Antonio pre -school. 

Friday, they are celebrating in Panajachel, Tierra Linda and Chukumuk pre schools. 

Yesterday they local mayor and the council had dancing in the streets, big trucks with very big loud speakers and mothers in fancy dress dancing behind them.

Today the morning started very early...4.38.am.  big fireworks went off blasting everyone out of their sleep.

Then a group of musicians were  in the street in our neighborhood serenading ....that was very nice....but then they had competition from the very large truck with the very, very large speakers that started cruising the area...with competing love songs about mothers.

Followed by the Bomberos ( paramedics /first responders) with sirens and other cars with horns tooting, followed by more fireworks. 

Things have calmed down a little now but there  is sporadic fireworks going off in the distance. 

We, at Mayan Families will be packing bags of food ready to put into the baskets that will be given out tomorrow.

We  hope to have enough for each orphaned family of children to receive a basket and we want to give a toy or a piece of clothing or shoes to each orphaned child when they come in. It's hard enough for them not to have a mother but on Mother's Day , I can only imagine how awful it is for them.  We still need more baskets of food so that each family of children in our Orphan program can receive a basket.

We will be giving out baskets tomorrow...and bags of food for the elderly.

There is still time to get your order in...or please spread the word to your social networks....and post this notice...even one more basket for just one family ...means so much to them. 

Thanks and Feliz Dia del Madre!

Sharon

Sharon Smart-Poage
MAYAN FAMILIES

a registered 501.(c).(3) Non Profit Charity

www.mayanfamilies.org

Updates and Blogs

Hi Everyone,

Please Check the Updates on the Family Aid and Elderly Care Blogs.
Maria, an eleven year old is in dire need of help.

http://familyaidprogram.blogspot.com/2012/05/maria-was-sexually-abused.html

Ingrid Elizabeth 4 yearas old has a serious blood condition.
http://familyaidprogram.blogspot.com/2012/05/ingrid-elizabeth-has-serious-blood.html

Miguel and Manuel need a dry place to store their clothes.

http://mayanfamilieselderlycare.blogspot.com/2012/04/miguel-and-manuel-need-dry-place-to.html

Thank you for any help you can give these people.

Update: Land for Petrona

Since posting Petrona's story on our blog and Facebook we have raised $335 for them. That means we are short $785 to purchase Petrona and her family their own plot of land. If 16 people would donate $50 then we could purchase the land for Petrona! We have until Wednesday, so please spread the word! Thank you!

Widowed Mother and her children

This widowed mother and her children were thrilled to receive a table
and chairs!
These items were made at the Mayan Families carpentry shop!

Land for Petrona and her family!

We are so thrilled that, with your help, we have been able to purchase 7 plots of land for 7 needy families! We have begun the process of telling the families they will soon be land owners and one father literally jumped up and down with joy!

When our managers went to confirm the purchases with the church this week, we were informed that there is still one plot of land remaining to be purchased. Our managers immediately asked about reserving this last plot to see if we could fund raise for one last family.

This is Petrona and her four children. Her husband, Leocadio, had a stroke leaving half of his body paralyzed. He cannot walk or work because of his condition. So Petrona washes clothes and sells tortillas to try to provide for her family.

They are currently renting a small home with no electricity. But they can't afford the rent on Petrona's small wages. Many times they are forced to choose between paying rent or feeding the children. It's a terrible circumstance to face. Soon, they will be kicked out with no where to go.

We would really love to give Petrona and her family a plot of land so they can finally have a safe place to live that won't be taken away from them, a place of their own with the deed in their name. For just $1,120 you can give Petrona and Leocadio their own plot of land, an economic investment they would never be able to afford on their own.

We don't necessarily need the money in one lump sum. We are accepting pledges if you prefer to pay month by month. Any amount that you give will make a difference!

If you would like to make a one-time donation to give this family a new plot of land, please go to Donate Now and scroll down. Enter your donation in the "Other $" box. In the "Details" box, write "Land". Or you can donate monthly to pay off the price little by litte. Go to Donate Monthly and enter your donation in the "Other Program" box. Under "Description" write "Land" and specify how much you'd like to donate per month.