Erutilia’s Story

THE SITUATION:

The main project we are currently working on, Indigenous Maternal & Children Welfare is focused on supporting indigenous mothers and their babies and enabling them access to medical care.

We will share more insights from the lives of tribal families we are working with, in our section “Stories from my village”

This time we are telling you the story of Rosalba, Erutilia and her baby. 

Before we start sharing their story, we have to admit that our team was hesitant to disclose the entire story of these brave women, especially since it is a specifically sensitive situation. 

However, it is hard, even impossible to help fundraise for someone without telling the story. We are sharing with you just some glimpses into their world, to better understand their situation.  

Erutilia is 32 and was born with Down syndrome and unable to read, write or talk.

She has a little daughter called Senen, who was "given" to her forcefully by a neighbour...

Erutilias's mother Rosalba, who is 74 years old, takes care of both Senen and Erutilia.

With all these circumstances as bad as they are for this humble, innocent and loving little family, there is another struggle they are facing. 

Since birth, baby Senen suffers from potentially dangerous deformation in her intestinal and urinary tract, which is rare and occurs in about 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 25,000 newborn female babies.

During previous weeks, we took this brave little trio to see a specialist in Panama City.

We’ve received some good news from the doctor, saying that Senen’s surgery, which until now seemed inevitable, could be postponed and is even potentially not needed anymore! 

However, she will still need to see the doctor regularly for her checkups and meet with specialists who help Erutilia and Senen to start off with their cognitive skills advancements. Through practice with didactic toys and trained staff, after some time they can hopefully continue at home. 

Our goal is to gather enough monthly donations to fund for Senen’s and her Mom’s upcoming doctor's checkups in the City.

All our trips to the communities we work with require 4x4 car rental and generate additional fuel expenses, including those for the boat ride that will take our team through a pretty rough journey into the depths of the jungle, to reach Erutilia and her family, and then make the journey back, twice.

They could also use the mattress, bed and educational toys and learning aid.

Please, let’s show some love for these three generations of women, each with their heartbreaking story and join Rosalba, Erutilia and Senen in their march for a better life. 

Support their cause! 

P.S. Time is critical with this fundraiser, especially due to Rosalba's age. Erutilia and her baby need to gain more independence and learn how to take care of themselves, for times when Rosalba won't be able to continue being their caretaker.

With no family to take her and the child in when grandma passes, and her abuser living just a few meters away from her home, we have mobilised all our forces to help as much as we can, but with the community’s support, we can achieve so much more! Please consider donating, even the smallest donation goes a long way!

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A huge thanks to all our loyal global family, who has been supporting us in our efforts to secure better living conditions for the indigenous peoples of Latin America over this and the past year! We couldn't do it without your help!