Searching for breath…

Five-year-old Isabella was struggling with every breath.  She was breathing but needing her muscles in her chest and neck to help her.  Three days prior, she had a cough but then started to breathe faster than normal.  Her mom knew she needed to go to the hospital, so she borrowed money for public transport, but it took over 2 hours to get to the hospital.  

Imagine, your child or loved one struggling to breathe and it taking 2 hours to get to a hospital for help.  When she got to the hospital, she had to wait and then wait some more until she was finally seen.  She was given some medicines which helped Isabella breath more easily, but could not afford the inhaler that she needed to treat her asthma and prevent another severe asthma attack. They went 2 hours back home hoping that Isabella would be okay.  

Unfortunately, the next day brought more coughing and increased work of breathing. Mom knew it would be hard to borrow enough money for transport another 2 hours to the hospital and then another 2 hours back, so mom did her best to care for Isabella at home.  Isabella’s mom did everything she could be bring her comfort. 

Isabella gradually became worse and mom knew she had to take her somewhere to help her breathe better.  A friend had told her about a clinic about 45 minutes away and had mentioned to her that there was a visiting Pediatrician working at the clinic.  Mom again had to borrow a little money for transport, but made it to the clinic.    

I had just gotten out of my car and walked towards the clinic when I saw Isabella come into the waiting area.  Her eyes looked toward me and she let out a small grin which was impressive because she was also breathing fast and coughing.  We were able to give her some medicines both with an inhaler and oral medicines to help with her breathing and help her asthma.  Over the course of an hour, she improved dramatically, her oxygen level in her blood was also much higher than when she had come in initially. She was much more comfortable, and breathing much easier.

Her small grin that I had seen initially had now become a full smile which was followed by laughter.  She was able to get an inhaler, and we were even able to make her a spacer for her inhaler.   I remembered that I brought a plastic coke bottle for lunch so I drank the coke before she went home, so we could make here a spacer to use for her inhaler that she took home with her.  Thankfully, Isabella was able to go home and was still doing well when I saw her for a follow-up visit later in the month.  

We are thankful that God was able to use our skills and service to help Isabella and all the other adults, children, and infants that we were able to serve over the month of July. 

Our month was spent in two faith-based clinics with affordable access to outpatient medical services.  One clinic, Clinica Betania, was nestled in the outskirts of Siguatepeque, the town where we will study Spanish after we move to Honduras next year.  It’s a medium-sized town with multiple private hospitals and clinics. Despite proximity to care, the cost is the limiting factor for many families. 

The other clinic also now dear to our heart is the more rural Sal y Luz Ministerios (Salt and Light Ministries) located alongside Lake Yojoa an hour north of Siguatepeque. This is the location of our future outpatient work after language school and as we wait for Hospital Yojoa to open. It was wonderful to dive deep into the lives of the people of the area we will be serving long-term.

We are also grateful for the time to be able to listen and learn more about the healthcare needs of the people who live in and around the Lake Yojoa region in Honduras.  

The infant, maternal, and neonatal mortality rates are 3x higher than in the US, and Honduras has one of the lowest ratios of hospital beds per population in the Western Hemisphere.  While statistics are important, listening to our patients and families and hearing their stories is more powerful.  Whether it was a family that could not afford to take public transport to the hospital or a baby being born on the side of the road due to the length of travel to the hospital, one theme was common: their desire for access to affordable healthcare in their rural communities.  Thankfully, Isabella’s story had a happy ending, however, many do not and too many suffer or die due to lack of access to hospital care. 

Globally, 4.5 billion people, more than half of the global population, do not have access to essential health services.  Healthcare is a right that too many in this world do not have access to in their communities.  This story can change so that more people have access to essential health services.   Over 8 years, we served in Christian mission hospitals in Africa to bring essential lifesaving and quality, compassionate healthcare to communities in Malawi and Kenya.  We worked with some compassionate, skillful expats, Malawians, and Kenyans and these mission hospitals are continuing to expand and increase access in these communities. 

Now, God is calling us to serve in a region with very little access to high-quality affordable hospital care in central Honduras.  Many families live in rural parts of Honduras, where some communities are not accessible by car and many do not have access to reliable public transportation.  There are several rural regions including in central Honduras that do not have access to hospital care. 

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31: 8-9).

How can we change the story…..well by looking at Isabella’s story. Her family lives about 30 minutes from where Hospital Yojoa will be built. She and her family will have greater access to hospital care when they get sick.  Isabella’s mom and her community will have access to a hospital in the region with high-quality maternal and newborn care so that no mom has to travel 2 hours to deliver a baby and wonder if there baby will be born on the side of the road.  Hospital Yojoa will bring healthcare access to 2 million more Hondurans in central Honduras.      

We are excited to join a team of Christian physicians and other professionals with years of experience in global health to build and develop a teaching mission hospital. Hospital Yojoa will provide greater access to medical care and medical education training in the region.  We look forward to coming alongside these Honduran communities and our Honduran colleagues to expand access to affordable healthcare in the region.    

In the Western Hemisphere, there are very few Christian mission hospitals that operate as teaching facilities. We believe a Christian mission hospital in Honduras will be pivotal in improving the healthcare system not only of Honduras but of the entire region. We believe it is essential to teach, mentor, and disciple clinicians and medical professionals so they can continue to serve the physical and spiritual needs of the underserved well into the future.  Many of the doctors and residents that we helped to mentor and teach in Africa are now helping to expand even greater access to the communities in which they are serving.  As we expand medical education in central Honduras, we look forward to seeing our Honduran colleagues expand access to higher quality medical care in their communities.       

Let’s change the story, together….partner with us today by donating monthly or giving a one-time gift as we prepare to serve long term in rural central Honduras in 2025.  

Our countdown begins to the next steps in our journey: finishing work at Cahaba Medical Care at the end of March, letting the kids finish out the school year at their current school, and moving to Honduras in summer 2025!

100% of our salary and ministry needs will have to be fundraised. In order to serve as medical missionaries in Honduras, we will rely on both monthly and one-time gifts throughout the year from individuals, families, and churches.

Will you partner with us today so that we can improve healthcare access for this community? With your financial partnership, we can walk alongside these communities in love and compassion as we care for their physical and spiritual health and train the next generation of young physicians to serve the underserved in their communities.