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Norma, a 51-year-old woman suffering from nerve damage and lesions on her feet caused by diabetes, came to the Central Medical Clinic of HOPE in San Pedro Sula, Honduras struggling with the painful complications of her illness.
Norma lives with her adopted son and her 85-year-old father with Alzheimer’s. Because her condition often confines her to a wheelchair, it is very difficult for her to care for her family and work daily, making candy and tamales.
Since January of 2009, the AmeriCares Medical Outreach Program has supported 5 HOPE worldwide traveling medical teams to the Clinic, which offers free and low-cost medical care to patients like Norma, with a total of $212,000 worth of primary care medicines and medical supplies. During their most recent trip in June 2010, a 42 member team treated 515 patients and distributed 812 medications over the course of three days.
Norma had never been treated for her chronic illness. The nerve damage and lesions associated with her diabetic condition cause Norma a tremendous amount of pain. Mary Jo Cholod, a volunteer RN with Hope worldwide, said that she had “never in her career seen wounds like hers.”nor
Norma was diagnosed and treated by father and son doctors from the HOPE worldwide team, and received antibiotics as well as ibuprofen provided by AmeriCares to help alleviate her symptoms.
Lori Kotkowski, Procurement Assistant at HOPE worldwide relayed that “Norma is very grateful for the antibiotics and pain medication provided by AmeriCares, and wound care treatment she received at the HOPE worldwide Medical Brigade. She had tears in her eyes as she thanked the team from the U.S. for helping relieve some of her pain and suffering.”
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