On March 31, 2006 , a team of faculty, residents, and medical students from the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Oklahoma at Tulsa arrived at the Mission of Hope clinicin Santa Cruz, Bolivia. During the week that followed, every patient who came to the mission was examined. No one was turned away!
Normally, we are able to attend about 100 patients each day, but there are usually more than 100 waiting in line each morning to get in. With the team from Tulsa, we were able to set up extra exam rooms and take care of everyone. This was a great blessing for our patients!
The Tulsa Team
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One of the patients who came was a young lady, 13 years old, named Maria Gisela. Maria is one of 4 children. Her mother is a single parent and earns about $12 per week by washing clothes when she has work.
The team of doctors from Tulsa examined Maria and found that she had an abnormality of her heart. The team paid for Maria to have an echocardiogram, which revealed a hole in her heart between the ventricles. If left untreated, this condition can result in heart failure and death.
After hearing the results of the echocardiogram, Maria and her mother were in a state of shock and did not know what to think. A few days later, they came back to the mission to ask if we could help Maria to get the surgery she needs. In Bolivia, a specialized heart surgery like the one Maria needs costs between $5,000 and $10,000. We prayed with Maria and her mother, asking God to calm their fears and provide the funds that are needed for this surgery. Gifts for Maria’s surgery can be designated on the memo line of your check.
Maria Gisela
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