The Luz Fund: "Dr" Milagros Ingrid Hidalgo Panduro

Friday, July 12, 2013

"Dr" Milagros Ingrid Hidalgo Panduro

Milagros Ingrid Hidalgo Panduro lives in the small town of Juanjui, San Martin Province, Peru. Juanjui lies at the junction of the Hullaga and Huayabamba Rivers in northeastern Peru. In the small town and the surrounding villages there is but one female womens doctor, that 'doctor' is Ingrid.

Ingrid loves the people of her home province of San Martin. She travels by boat to visit the villages regularly to care for her patients, mostly expectant mothers, sometimes not returning home for several days. There is no pre-natal nor post-natal care in Juanjui and many women give birth at home, without ever seeing a doctor during their pregnancy and rarely before or after, unless there is a major problem, and sometimes not then.

The people of Juanjui and San Martin are poor farmers and their families. Many subsist by working on each others farms. Cocoa, Citrus, and vegetables are the main products of the farms and the Cocoa beans from the San Martin area are prized by chocolate manufacturers in France, Germany, and other chocolate refining areas of western Europe.

Ingrid is 38 years old, unmarried, and lives with her aging mother, Camila. In April, 2013, Ingrid was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. There is no Cancer Treatment Center in Junajui, San Martin, not anyplace in Peru. There is treatment for Cancer in Lima, eighteen hours away by bus or eight hours away by auto and air flight from Tarapoto. The cost of travel and treatment is expensive. Ingrid seldom charges for the service and treatment she provides for the women of San Martin and Juanjui. She says that her needs are small compared to the services she provides to her patients. But Ingrid was not prepared for her recent diagnosis. Ingrid believes that God will provide for all her needs, and surely He will. But there are also many patients of Ingrid who also stand to lose a good friend, a good Doctor, and for many, their only contact for good healthcare.

The Luz Fund is a registered 501c(3) charity based in Brandon, Florida. We have been travelling to Juanjui, Peru, for several years bringing doctors and nurses to those in need. We also bring children who need medical intervention, to the US for treatment unavailable to them in their home country.

Those of you who have travelled with The Luz Fund to Peru have met and worked with Ingrid. Ingrid has always been there during our visits, working side by side with us, providing free healthcare to those in need. Although she was always there during our work, she was sometimes missing during our celebratory dinners, because she was off someplace, seeing another of her patients. Now, Ingrid is the one in need.

The Luz Fund seeks to raise $50,000.00 USD, 100% of which will be used to provide the care needed for Ingrid. Any funds remaining will be used as an incentive to graduating, Spanish language medical students, to visit, and consider establishing an OB/Gyn medical practice in the Juanjui, San Martin Province of Peru. Your assistance in helping us meet our goal is sincerely appreciated. Letters of donation to assist you in tax preparation are available on request.

Contact information is contained on the right side of this posting.

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Our Friends

American Airlines has been a benefactor of The Luz Fund since shortly after our organization became a registered charity. When we fly to Peru there is never any question which airline will take us there. For the past few years they have also supported Luz and Veronica with travel assistance during their annual visits to Shriners Hospital in Tampa. We are grateful to them.

Childrens Flight of Hope WWW.childrensflightofhope.org
Is a non-profit charity located in Morrisville, NC. They have been extremely kind and compassionate to our needs for the past two years. Please visit their website.

PNC Bank in Brandon, Florida, enables The Luz Fund to keep track of our very limited banking services, at a very minimum expense. We thank all at PNC for their friendliness and advice.

Sandrita

(The following is from a friend, Dimas Jack Soria Monsin, from Peru. We need to help)

SANDRA CRIES FOR A MIRACLE. SHE HAS NO FEET AND WALKS WITH BLOODY KNEES - SHE LIVES IN THE RAIN FOREST OF TINGO MARIA

Girl with disability asks for help and wants to know the sea

A 7 year old girl with disability asks for help. Her name is Sandra and lives with her father who is called Ernesto. According to his statement, his daughter was abandoned by her mother and since she was a few months old he takes care of her with much love in spite of his very poor economic situation trying to face the situation and makes known his situation so that the authorities or some institution hear him. His drama started when the girl was born in a rural place called Pueblo Nuevo (new town) in Tingo Maria. Her mother abandoned her, and he cannot explain why, and he has assumed the responsibility of her care and the girl wants to study and have a doll. She spent Christmas the same as thousands of children at the farm amidst the whistle of the birds and in total darkness of the night with no special cakes nor a gift as they are living in extreme poverty conditions.

Her father says that they would be so happy if some institution learns about their problem and can help her since she is an intelligent girl that dreams of travelling some day to know the sea and have a bed and a Barbie doll. The girl has to “walk” without feet through mud and canes for more than half an hour to study, Her father helps her to reach the school but some times he is delayed by his work and she knows she has to go back by herself and one time she came to my home with her legs full of blood because of the protruding stones and sticks that are part of the farms.

Ernesto tells about a day they had to cross the Huallaga River when it was very high and he was very scared when he slipped into the river with the girl they went under and he says that they were saved because of the strength of the girl which was hanging from his neck and gave him courage to fight against the current. All this is why he wants to obtain a decent work to be able to be near his daughter and not leave her alone all day long.

The girl needs a wheel chair or some prosthesis to be able to have a normal live if some State institution or some company wants to communicate to give her any type of help.

Dimas Jack Soria Monsin

HOGAR SAN FRANCISCO DE ASIS

In the small town of Chaclacayo, Peru, there is a small house where 50+ children live. The children are from various locations in and around the metropolis of Lima. All the children suffer from some health issue that places a burden on their families. Healthcare in Peru is very expensive, if available at all, and only the wealthy can afford. Many children and babies are abandoned and will eventually live on the streets or will live abused lives in service to others.

The lucky ones are found by a mild mannered and humble gentleman from the USA, Dr Tony Lazzara. A third level Franciscan, from Tampa, Florida, and formerly head of the Neo-Nate Department of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Over thirty years ago, Dr Tony, a Pediatrician, visited Lima, Peru, at the invitation of a Franciscan Friar for, what was supposed to be a short two week visit. He never returned.

He sold his possessions in Tampa and Atlanta and purchased the small house in Chaclacayo which became known as Hogar San Francisco de Asis. Tony relocated to Peru, with no knowledge of Spanish language skills and started to donate his time and talents to help some of the most vulnerable of God’s children, the sick and destitute from the streets and barrios of Lima and its environs.

There are children suffering from Cystic Fibrosis, Leukemia, Muscular Dystrophy, Tuberculosis, many with various birth deformaties and amputations. The children have no other place to turn. Some of them have families, but the families can not afford to care for their special needs, such as they receive from Dr Tony and his small volunteer staff at Hogar San Francisco de Asis. You would expect that the home would be a place of sadness and depression, but the exact opposite is true. The children are happy to live in such a large family with so many brothers and sisters, babies and teens. And they all have one thing in common, they know that someone cares, that someone loves them.

There is a daily regular routine at the home. 5:30 AM starts the day with wake-ups and preparations for school. Babies to feed, breakfasts to prepare and consume prior to leaving for school. All the children attend regular classes at local schools, unless they are scheduled for a visit to a clinic or hospital for treatment. Most of the children maintain above average grades.
After school hours are filled with assigned household chores and homework assignments and preparation for the evening meals. The children and staff attend weekly Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Chaclacayo.

Their life is full of love and affection from each other and from the staff and volunteers at the home.

Hogar San Francisco de Asis can continue caring for these children only through the donations of time and talent of people like you, who care enough to help.
Please see the attached flyer for information about how you can, personally, put your faith to work at Hogar San Francisco de Asis.