A Family's Chance for a New Life
Donation protected
As the quality of life in Venezuela exponentially deteriorates my family struggles to find ways to make ends meet. My aunt asked me to help create this campaign for her family, this is their story:
When my husband and I got married we had high expectation as individuals, professionals and for a future family. More than 20 years later a lot of our dreams have come true, the most important one being our two beautiful daughters. They are now 13 and 17-year-old princesses and they are the reason we ask for your help today.
It does not come as a surprise to anyone that there is a crisis affecting my country, Venezuela. It has become a social and humanitarian crisis which has affected not just healthcare but our hopes. We, as professionals, (a mechanical engineer and a medical sonographer) thought we would be able to make it through the hard times with our degrees. We were able to survive the irrationally drastic economic measures the country went through but 6 years ago we were taken by surprise by my husband’s diagnosis. After several tests, he was diagnosed with a chronic degenerative immunological disease that affects his digestive system: Ulcerative Colitis. He lost more than 22 pounds, suffered from vasculitis (a rare inflammation of the blood vessels that causes changes in the blood vessel walls) and several uveitis episodes in his irises. As a result of many absences due to medical treatments he lost his job and it was difficult for the family to adjust to the situation. Fortunately, with the help of the intestinal inflammatory disease foundation a medical team was able to prescribe him a treatment that was able to control most of his symptoms to the point of being able to function normally again. This allowed for him to go back to work under low stress conditions and pursue his passion of engineering.
It was wonderful until Venezuela’s situation deteriorated even more and his treatment (Mesalazine 500mg, Normix, B-Complex, Iron IV, Folic Acid, etc.) became impossible to find, a healthy diet challenging to maintain, and the threat of colon cancer knocked at his door due to the uncountable relapses he suffered. My husband is an exemplary father, wonderful companion and at just 48 years of age a passionate professional with years of productivity ahead that this country’s situation has robbed him of. My daughters are outstanding students, the eldest graduated high school at the top of her class and is now pursuing a major in chemistry. It is devastating to hear that at 17 years of age she feels as if she will never be able to achieve her dreams. There are constant public transportation strikes, no money or availability of books, no food in their dining halls, 50% of faculty and staff have left and more than 30% of the student body has withdrawn. While the little one dreams of becoming a psychologist she sees her school supplies, teachers and classes flee all in search of a better future. I fight each day to make ends meet with my job as the pay is not reliable and being in a constant heartache as we receive calls about health problems we cannot help with. The threat of being laid off is constant due to the lack of medical supplies keeping many medical units on the edge of closing permanently.
I do not want you to misunderstand and think I seek pity from you, I only ask for help, a grain of sand that can rescue my family out of this situation. To make it possible to take our children to a different reality, one in which their dreams are achievable. My husband and I will continue to work hard wherever we go but we truly need the push to get us going in the right direction. We urgently need to leave this country which has repetitively denied medical aid and digs itself into an even deeper hole each day.
My family thanks you in advance for your help.
When my husband and I got married we had high expectation as individuals, professionals and for a future family. More than 20 years later a lot of our dreams have come true, the most important one being our two beautiful daughters. They are now 13 and 17-year-old princesses and they are the reason we ask for your help today.
It does not come as a surprise to anyone that there is a crisis affecting my country, Venezuela. It has become a social and humanitarian crisis which has affected not just healthcare but our hopes. We, as professionals, (a mechanical engineer and a medical sonographer) thought we would be able to make it through the hard times with our degrees. We were able to survive the irrationally drastic economic measures the country went through but 6 years ago we were taken by surprise by my husband’s diagnosis. After several tests, he was diagnosed with a chronic degenerative immunological disease that affects his digestive system: Ulcerative Colitis. He lost more than 22 pounds, suffered from vasculitis (a rare inflammation of the blood vessels that causes changes in the blood vessel walls) and several uveitis episodes in his irises. As a result of many absences due to medical treatments he lost his job and it was difficult for the family to adjust to the situation. Fortunately, with the help of the intestinal inflammatory disease foundation a medical team was able to prescribe him a treatment that was able to control most of his symptoms to the point of being able to function normally again. This allowed for him to go back to work under low stress conditions and pursue his passion of engineering.
It was wonderful until Venezuela’s situation deteriorated even more and his treatment (Mesalazine 500mg, Normix, B-Complex, Iron IV, Folic Acid, etc.) became impossible to find, a healthy diet challenging to maintain, and the threat of colon cancer knocked at his door due to the uncountable relapses he suffered. My husband is an exemplary father, wonderful companion and at just 48 years of age a passionate professional with years of productivity ahead that this country’s situation has robbed him of. My daughters are outstanding students, the eldest graduated high school at the top of her class and is now pursuing a major in chemistry. It is devastating to hear that at 17 years of age she feels as if she will never be able to achieve her dreams. There are constant public transportation strikes, no money or availability of books, no food in their dining halls, 50% of faculty and staff have left and more than 30% of the student body has withdrawn. While the little one dreams of becoming a psychologist she sees her school supplies, teachers and classes flee all in search of a better future. I fight each day to make ends meet with my job as the pay is not reliable and being in a constant heartache as we receive calls about health problems we cannot help with. The threat of being laid off is constant due to the lack of medical supplies keeping many medical units on the edge of closing permanently.
I do not want you to misunderstand and think I seek pity from you, I only ask for help, a grain of sand that can rescue my family out of this situation. To make it possible to take our children to a different reality, one in which their dreams are achievable. My husband and I will continue to work hard wherever we go but we truly need the push to get us going in the right direction. We urgently need to leave this country which has repetitively denied medical aid and digs itself into an even deeper hole each day.
My family thanks you in advance for your help.
Organizer
Marisabel Herrera
Organizer
Dallas, TX
