Patricia is a 28-year-old mother and Venezuelan migrant. She is a woman that never loses sight of faith, even given her difficult situation. She has two children; 7-year-old baby and 4-year-old Luis. Luis is charismatic, curious, and he is intelligent enough to understand that something is happening when he witnesses tears running down his mother’s face.
Patricia remembers getting sick and her daughter getting diagnosed with gastroenteritis. Hospitals in Venezuela provided initial support, such as intravenous fluids for hydration, however, the staff told her “they could not do more.” She witnessed children dying in the hospital and, with her daughter being ill, she did not have any doubts about her decision to migrate to Colombia.
She asked her ex-husband to come with her but he refused to leave his country even though he was currently unemployed. Crying, she remembered asking her former mother-in-law for money for bus tickets. She gathered her children, took a bag of clothes, some food for the trip, and left her fear behind. She had courage, inspired by her children, to embark on a trip to Colombia.
She learned about MedGlobal’s clinic in Colombia through a Catholic non-profit. She expressed gratitude to MedGlobal for providing dignified care to her and her family.
She currently lives in a small room in El Salado, Cucuta where she spends time with her baby and son, Luis. A curious Luis asked the physician, “how is my mom, sir?” Followed by a heartbreaking, “are we eating today?” The question left all of us perplexed during the interview.
This is the reality that Patricia, her family, and many others face when migrating to Colombia.
Please donate to send dignified care to Venezuelan migrants in Colombia.