Some days begin like any other…until everything changes.
For Heyling, one of the community health volunteers AMOS supports in the rural village of Banco de Sikia, that moment came when she saw baby Joel.
“No, oh God, please no…” Heyling’s heart sank as she looked at him.
Something was wrong.
Drawing on her AMOS training, she quickly examined the baby. At just 17 days old, Joel had a high fever, was breathing too fast, and his tiny body had taken on a bluish color. Heyling had seen pneumonia before, but never in a baby so small, a deadly threat for a newborn.
“I feared baby Joel was going to die,” she said.
Earlier that morning, the sun was already blazing as Heyling walked half an hour through hills and rough paths to visit Joel’s mother, Johana, for a newborn checkup.
At first, Johana hesitated to let her in. In rural Nicaragua, some families believe a visitor’s gaze can make a baby sick. But Heyling gently reassured her and explained how important it was to check the baby’s health. Finally, Johana agreed.
When Heyling saw how sick Joel was, she knew there was no time to lose.
She called ahead to the nearest health unit—45 minutes away—to brief them about the baby’s condition, so they could be ready when Johana arrived.
The doctor confirmed Joel had pneumonia and transferred him immediately to the regional hospital, where he stayed in the ICU for two weeks, even requiring oxygen treatment at times.
When Joel finally came home, Heyling visited again. She found Johana smiling, holding her healthy baby in her arms.
“It filled my heart with joy,” Heyling shared. “This is why I serve, to meet the needs of my community and help people live healthier lives.”
This is the light you bring; light that travels over mountains and rivers, into homes where fear turns to hope, and where life begins again.
Because of your generosity, AMOS now supports over 500 trained health volunteers serving families in more than 200 rural communities across Nicaragua. They are the light that keeps shining; preventing illness, comforting the sick, and saving lives.
But they can’t do it alone.
This season, your gift to AMOS will go twice as far. Thanks to a group of generous supporters, every donation by December 31 will be matched—up to $50,000!