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Mayan Families has been recognized by the following organization(s): ABOUT US PROGRAMS OUR BLOGS DONATE NOW NEWS AND EVENTS SPREAD THE WORD GET INVOLVED FAQ - LINKS - FACTS FAQ - Freq Asked Questions Quick Links Guatemala Facts CONTACT US MAYAN FAMILIES VIDEOS AND STORIES Urgent News Hi Everyone, A very desperate situation was just posted on the Family Aid Blog today. Maria and Jose have 8 children. They've had a hard life, unable to find consistent jobs and having to move to the coast in order to try to find work. They live in a very poor, crumbling home several hours from Panajachel. They try to take care of their large family, but it is increasingly difficult to find ways to provide for them and feed them all. One of their children is so malnourished that she was unable to walk and had to be carried everywhere. On top of these financial difficulties, Maria and Jose have recently been hit very hard by physical illnesses. Maria has been feeling ill for months. She hardly leaves bed. She has gallstones and this causes her great pain. She is chronically malnourished and she also has an intestinal infection. But worst, and scariest, of all she has recently been diagnosed with a serious degenerative disease. She needs treatment and it will be very expensive. Jose has a tumor on the side of his neck. It has been getting larger and larger, and doctors tell him it needs to be removed immediately. However, due to the size and location of the tumor it is exremely risky to remove it. The surgery only has a 50% survive rate. If Jose does survive the surgery, there is a further risk that he may lose his voice and/or neck movements. Jose has to sign legal documentation saying that his family won't press charges against the surgeon in case of any problem. It's a scary place to be, but Jose has bravely told us he knows he needs to have the surgery in order to take care of his family. Jose and Maria are both in need of extensive operations and treatment. They could barely take care of their 8 children before, and now adding these health issues makes their troubles seem insurmountable. Jose and Maria are both facing life-threatening illnesses and they are, understandably, afraid. They have no one else to turn to and have come to us desperate for help. We are asking for an initial $300 to pay for their beginning consults, tests, treatments, and to prepare them for surgery. They will need ongoing help as they have and recover from their surgeries. We will also use part of this money to buy food for this malnourished family. For more information on how to help this family, please visit: http://familyaidprogram.blogspot.com/ Thank you! Hi Everyone, Ronnie a past volunteer from the Elderly Care Program is visiting Mayan Families and has written an update and also updated us on the story of Ramon Lopez Cumes (A-9) on the Elderly Care Blog. For an update on the Elderly Care Program and Ramon Lopez Cumes (A-9), please check the following blog post on the Elderly Care Program from Ronnie. http://mayanfamilieselderlycare.blogspot.com/2012/01/ramon-lopez-cumes.html Thanks! Hi Everyone, Angel Josue, one of our sponsored students, is 13 years old and was born with a problem in his spinal cord. He is slowly losing movement in his legs. His mother refuses to put him in a wheelchair because she strongly believes that with the right treatment he will be able to gain movement back. The family does not have many financial resources, however they managed to take him to a private specialist who said that the boy might be able to walk and won't need a wheelchair, but he needs to use an orthopedic brace and have 2 months of physiotherapy five times a week starting immediately. The orthopedic brace costs $80 and the therapy sessions cost $125 per week, which would be a total of $1000 for the 8 weeks physiotherapy that he needs. If you can help Angel with any of those costs, please visit: http://familyaidprogram.blogspot.com/2012/01/angel-can-lose-movements-in-his-legs.html for more details. Thank you!	Holiday Food Baskets Sponsor A Student Visiting with Mayan Families In Guatemala things do not always run on time. Waiting 30 minutes or more for a meeting to start is not uncommon. Distributing donations can be difficult. Things do not always run smoothly and culturally people are not accustomed to waiting passively in line for their turn. Please be patient and use your hosts as an example of appropriate etiquette. Being fair and consistent will help avoid conflict. In impoverished rural Guatemala incomes are low and eating in a restaurant is a rare occurrence for most. If you are touring the local community with our staff members and stop for a meal please remember this. Please support Mayan Families staff with their food expenses. Transport required to visit sponsored families (if necessary) is not free. A payment will be asked to cover these costs. All visitors and volunteers are welcome to share meals while visiting Mayan Families. However a small contribution is asked to cover our costs. Guatemala has a non-fixed price economy. Prices fluctuate, and ‘gringos’ often pay more than locals. Guatemala is generally more conservative than the USA or Canada. Please dress modestly. Singlet tops and shorts are not appropriate when visiting traditional communities. When entering a community please remember you are a guest. Follow the etiquette of your Mayan Families staff and respect their directions. Please remember that everyone likes to be consulted before their photo is taken, so please ask for their permission. It is essential that you have adequate travel insurance for the duration of your stay. Please note that many household polices and conventional travel polices do not provide adequate coverage for volunteer projects and traveling overseas. In the unlikely event that you do have an accident you must be covered for all contingencies including medical emergency air evacuation.
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