Yadira Sevilla, Health Promoter in the community of Tierra Blanca, Boaco, reported this story in Fall of 2021. At the time, Yadira was pregnant with her first child.
This past September, I visited a pregnant mom at her house to check on her. Her name is Antonia and she is 35 years old. She was expecting her fourth baby and she had previously suffered preeclampsia in her second pregnancy.
[Preeclampsia is a condition marked by high blood pressure in pregnant women. It can lead to eclampsia, a serious condition that can have serious health risks for mom and baby and, in rare cases, cause death.]
When I examined her, I realized that her blood pressure was too high, her feet were swollen, and she had a stomachache. I remembered my trainings with AMOS and identified that those are signs of alarm during pregnancy.
I explained to Antonia that she needed to go to a health center urgently. At first, she was worried about her other three children. Her husband migrated to Costa Rica to find a job and provide for his family, and she was all alone. Fortunately, her sister was able to take care of her children while she was out of the community.
I called the doctors at the nearest government health center and explained the situation. When the ambulance came her blood pressure was still very high.
Antonia had an urinary tract infection, for which she received treatment at the health center.
A week later, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and stayed there for three days under observation.
Now, Antonia and her baby are back at the community, healthy and happy.
I visit them every month to check on their health and to monitor the growth and development of the baby.
I am grateful to God, to AMOS, and all its supporters for everything you have helped me to learn. Thanks to my trainings, you have helped me prevent deaths and offer care in emergencies. Without a trained Health Promoter in the community, many children would have died here. I am convinced that God places us where we are most needed, and that we come to this world to serve our brothers and sisters. Families in the community know they can count on us, Health Promoters, especially in cases of emergency. And, I am thrilled to be able to serve and help them.
Yadira Sevilla, Health Promoter in Tierra Blanca
Yadira and Health Promoters in 23 rural communities in Nicaragua are counting on your compassion and generosity to continue saving lives and offering health care and medicines to families who otherwise would not have access to them.
Prayerfully consider making a one-time or monthly gift to help them continue preventing deaths in their communities in 2021.