Groceries
You can support a Guatemalan family by donating a basic goods basket monthly, every two months or quarterly. The amount of the donation will depend on the number of family members and the location of the family. De Familia a Familia takes care of the shopping, packing and distribution of the goods.
Medical Checkups
De Familia a Familia facilitates medical care such as: general and internal medical practice, pediatrics, neurology, cardiology, ophthalmology, dentistry, gynecology and surgery, also lab exams, X rays, ultrasounds and medicines.
Mission
Medical Mission May 11, 2011
With the full support of our sister foundation in the US, Families For Familias, and a donation from an adoptive family (thank you so much Karen S.), Asociación de Familia a Familia carried out a medical mission on the 11th of May to test women for cervical cancer. The name of the test is VIAA, and it was performed by Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro, a hospital in Antigua Guatemala.
The selection of the birth mothers was based on their geographical location. A total of 42 women from the central region were tested in the morning and the results were ready the same day. The costs covered were: The VIAA test, round trip transportation, breakfast and lunch for the group of women.
When non-advanced abnormalities were detected, women were treated with cryotherapy during the same visit. This was the case for three women. Fortunately, no cases of advanced abnormalities were detected. There were also other diagnoses; sixteen women had bacterial and/or fungal infections. Asociación de Familia a Familia purchased all of the medication and gave it to the women at no cost.
Once they finish the treatment against infections and fungus, 18 women will need the following:
1 Cryotherapy
8 VIAA
5 Colposcopies
2 Ultrasounds
2 Surgeries
There will be a second medical mission for the same purpose of testing for cervical cancer around September. The exact date is still pending and will be determined by Hospital Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro.
Please contact us if you wish to help us cover the costs of the pending treatments or donate for future medical missions.
Medical mission Oct. 5th, 2011 in memory of Celia and Carolina
Dear Families,
In loving memory of Celia and Carolina, two birth mothers who recently passed away due to advanced cancer, Asociación De Familia a Familia with the help of our sister foundation in the US, Families For Familias, will carry out the Second Medical Mission on October 5th to test women for cervical cancer. The name of the test is IVAA, and it will be performed by Hospital Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro, in Antigua Guatemala.
In Guatemala, among deaths related to cancer, cervical cancer ranks first in reproductive age women, and second among women of all ages. This cancer is responsible for over 16% of deaths related to cancer, compared to 4% of breast cancer. At the National Institute of Oncology (INCAN for its acronym in Spanish), 60% of the cases of women with cancer are of cervical cancer.
Please contact us if you wish to make a donation for the medical mission and we kindly remind you that all the donations through Families For Familias are tax deductible. Contact us at cecilia@defamiliaafamilia.com or familiesforfamilias@yahoo.com
We have more information available about the test. If you are interested in knowing more about IVAA please let us know and we will gladly send it to your email address.
Thank you!
Asociacion De Familia a Familia.
Medical Mission on October 5th a complete success
Dear Families,
Thanks to the generous donations from many adoptive families and the incredible support from our sister foundation Families for Familias and Serita F, the Second Medical Mission held on October 5th was a complete success. Forty nine out of 50 birth mothers invited attended. We will upload more detailed information and photos soon.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Asociacion De Familia a Familia.
Results of the Second Medical Mission - October 5, 2011
Thanks to the generous donations from many adoptive families and the incredible support from our sister foundation Families for Familias and Serita F., the Second Medical Mission held on October 5th was a complete success. Forty nine out of 50 women attended, and all of them were tested for cervical cancer. The name of the test is VIAA, and it was performed by Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro, a hospital in Antigua Guatemala. When non-advanced abnormalities were detected, women were treated with cryotherapy during the same visit.
The selection of the birth mothers was based on their geographical location. A total of 49 women (out of 50 invited) from the south and south western regions were tested in the morning and the results were ready the same day. The costs covered were: The VIAA tests, round trip transportation, lodging and 2 or 3 meals, as required, and medicals.
As of March 30th, 2012, the total cost of the Second Medical Mission is: $1,969.49
VIAA Tests Paid | 50 |
Bacterial and Fungal Infection Treatments | 26 |
Cryotherapies | 2 |
Colposcopies | 3 |
Oncology | 1 |
Tomography | 1 |
Ultrasounds | 9 |
Surgeries | 2 |
Pap Smear Tests | 3 |
Gynaecological consultations | 12 |
Labs | 13 |
Asociacion de Familia a Familia covered all of the costs above and round-trip transportation, lodging and meals for all the 49 women during the Medical Mission held on October 5th, 2011, as well as the costs of all the transportation, lodging, subsequent treatments, gynaecological consultations, Pap smear tests, ultrasounds, etc. carried up to March 30th, 2012.
April 11, 2012 - Third Medical Mission To Test Women for Cervical Cancer
The total amount spent during the Second Medical Mission held on October 5th, 2011 was: $1,969.49. Asociacion de Familia a Familia covered all of the costs below, and round-trip transportation, lodging and meals (dinner, breakfast and lunch) for all the 49 women; as well as the costs for all subsequent treatments, gynecological consultations, Pap smear tests, ultrasounds, transportation, lodging, meals, etc. carried up to March 30th, 2012 as part of that same Second Medical Mission:
VIAA Tests Paid | 50 |
Bacterial and Fungal Infection Treatments | 26 |
Cryotherapies | 2 |
Colposcopies | 3 |
Oncology | 1 |
Tomography | 1 |
Ultrasounds | 9 |
Surgeries | 2 |
Pap Smear Tests | 3 |
Gynecological consultations | 12 |
Labs | 13 |
We estimate we will need a similar amount for the Third Medical Mission to take place on April 11, 2012. We only have $712. Would you please help us once again?
Mother's Day Food Baskets
We are glad to inform you that this year we will organize Mother's Day food baskets. For more information please contact us at cecilia@defamiliaafamilia.com before March 20th.
Results of the Third Medical Mission, April 11, 2012 (To Test Women for Cervical Cancer)
Thanks again to the generous donations from many adoptive families and the great support from our sister foundation Families for Familias, the Third Medical Mission was successfully held on April 11, 2012. A total of 47 women (out of 50 invited) were tested for cervical cancer. The name of the test is VIAA, and it was performed by Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro, a hospital in Antigua Guatemala.
Asociacion de Familia a Familia covered all of the costs related to the clinic on April 11, 2012; such as: Transportation, lodging, meals, medicine, lab tests for all the 47 women, as well as subsequent treatments, ultrasounds, medicine, colposcopies, lab tests, cryo-therapies, transportation, meals and lodging. The work done up to May 4th is the following:
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VIAA | 50 |
BACTERIAL AND FUNGAL INFECTION TREATMENTS | 32 |
COLPOSCOPIES | 6 |
CRYOTHERAPIES | 4 |
ULTRASOUNDS | 6 |
LABS | 9 |
BREAKFAST | 57 |
LUNCH | 48 |
DINNER | 13 |
TRANSPORTATION | 54
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Two surgeries have been scheduled as a result of the clinic, and there will be more costs to cover after the results of the colposcopies and cryotherapies.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Fourth Medical Mission to be held on August 29th, 2012
Our Fourth Medical Mission to test 50 women for cervical cancer (mostly birth mothers and their female family members and friends) will be held on August 29th. The three clinics before covered different, specific regions of the country, but this time we are inviting women from all over the country. The amount budgeted is $2,440.15 and it covers transportation, hotel accommodations (for those women traveling from afar), food, the IVAA tests and medicine, ultrasounds, colposcopies, etc. If everything goes as the previous three Medical Missions, we expect one third of that amount will be used the day of the clinic, and the rest during the subsequent weeks or months.
Approximately 35% of the women have had fungal or bacterial infections and cannot have the IVAA test done the day of the clinic. This means we need to bring them back for another appointment a week or 10 days later, once they finish the treatment prescribed by the gynecologist. Two women from last clinic need surgery and, therefore, our current budget contemplates 4 surgeries to cover the 2 pending and 2 extra. The pending surgeries have not taken place due to medical issues related to the women involved; they both need to lose weight and, due to the importance of the surgery, the gynecologist sent them to a nutritionist. We have covered all of the consultations with the nutritionist. The surgeries will take place as soon as the gynecologist thinks they are ready.
Several birth mothers, taking advantage of this opportunity, ask us if they can bring their children for a checkup – we cannot say no. Or, it has happened several times that the women attending the medical mission have had other health issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, eye problems, etc., and the expenses covered by us have gone up far above the amount budgeted. We are currently giving support to one woman who is receiving radiotherapy (the first phase consists of 35 radio therapies), and we do not know yet what the follow-up treatment will be. Those radio therapies, for example, were not included in the budget of the Third Medical Mission and are not being included in this budget either. The minimum we need to raise is $2,440.15 but any extra amount will always be welcome.
Below is the budget for our Fourth Medical Mission --
CATEGORY | COST PER PERSON INGTQ | NUMBER OF PATIENTS | TOTAL IN GTQ | TOTAL IN USD |
VIAA Testing at Hospital Obras Sociales Hermano Pedro | Q 5.00 | 50 | Q 250.00 | $ 33.33 |
Transportation | Q 70.00 | 50 | Q 3,500.00 | $ 466.67 |
Dinner | Q 20.00 | 50 | Q 1,000.00 | $ 133.33 |
Breakfast | Q 15.00 | 50 | Q 750.00 | $ 100.00 |
Lunch | Q 25.00 | 50 | Q 1,250.00 | $ 166.67 |
Lodging | Q 50.00 | 50 | Q 2,500.00 | $ 333.33 |
Transportation for post mission medicals | Q 70.00 | 25 | Q 1,750.00 | $ 233.33 |
Drugs and laboratory | Q 97.50 | 25 | Q 2,437.50 | $ 325.00 |
Surgeries | 4 | Q 3,200.00 | $ 426.66 | |
Unforeseen expenses 10% | Q 1,663.75 | $ 221.83 | ||
Q18,301.25 | $ 2,440.15 |
You can donate directly through us via Paypal (please contact info@defamiliaafamilia.com) or through our sister foundation in the US “Families for Familias” at: www.familiesforfamilias.org
Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated!
Results of the Fourth Medical Mission August 29, 2012 (To Test Women for Cervical Cancer)
Thanks once again to the generous donations from many adoptive families in the US and Europe, the kind cooperation of Serita F., and the great support from our sister foundation Families for Familias, the Fourth Medical Mission was successfully held on August 29, 2012. A total of 41 women (out of 50 invited) were tested for cervical cancer. The name of the test is VIAA, and it was performed by Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro, a hospital in Antigua Guatemala.
The day of the clinic, Asociacion de Familia a Familia covered all of the following costs for the 41 women attending: Transportation, lodging, meals, medicine, lab tests and, as a result of the same, AFF will continue to cover subsequent treatments, ultrasounds, medicine, colposcopies, lab tests, cryo-therapies, gynecological consultations transportation, meals and lodging as needed.
The preliminary results are:
VIAA Tests Paid | 41 |
Bacterial and Fungal Infection Treatments | 12 |
Cryotherapies | 1 |
Colposcopies | 4 |
Tomography | 1 |
Ultrasounds | 6 |
Gynecological consultations | 5 |
Labs | 9 |
Breakfast | 44 |
Lunch | 52 |
R/T Transportation | 43 |
Thank you!
Fifth Medical Mission to be held onMay 8th, 2013
Our Fifth Medical Mission to test 30 women for cervical cancer (mostly birth mothers and their female family members and friends) will be held on May 8th. The amount budgeted is $1,783.82 and it covers transportation, hotel accommodations, food, IVAA tests and medicine, ultrasounds, colposcopies, etc. If everything goes as the previous four Medical Missions, we expect one third of that amount will be used the day of the clinic, and the rest during the subsequent three months.
Approximately 35% of the women have had fungal or bacterial infections and cannot have the IVAA test done the day of the clinic. This means we need to bring them back for another appointment a week or 10 days later, once they finish the treatment prescribed by the gynecologist.
Several birth mothers, taking advantage of this opportunity, ask us if they can bring their children for a checkup – we cannot say no. It has happened several times too that the women attending the medical mission have had other health issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, eye problems, etc., and the expenses covered by us have gone up far above the amount budgeted. The minimum we need to raise is $1,783.82 but any extra amount will always be welcome.
Below is the budget for our Fifth Medical Mission --
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CATEGORY | COST PER PERSON IN GTQ | NUMBER OF PATIENTS | TOTAL IN GTQ | TOTAL IN USD |
VIAA Testing at Hospital Obras Sociales Hermano Pedro | Q 5.00 | 30 | Q 150.00 | $ 20.00 |
Transportation | Q 100.00 | 30 | Q 3,000.00 | $ 400.00 |
Dinner | Q 20.00 | 30 | Q 600.00 | $ 80.00 |
Breakfast | Q 15.00 | 30 | Q 450.00 | $ 60.00 |
Lunch | Q 25.00 | 30 | Q 750.00 | $ 100.00 |
Lodging | Q 50.00 | 30 | Q 1,500.00 | $ 200.00 |
Transportation for post mission medicals | Q 70.00 | 15 | Q 1,050.00 | $ 140.00 |
Drugs and laboratory | Q 97.50 | 15 | Q 1,462.50 | $ 195.00 |
Surgeries |
| 4 | Q 3,200.00 | $ 426.66 |
Subtotal |
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| Q12,162.50 | $1,621.66 |
Unforseen expenses10% |
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| Q 1,216.25 | $ 162.16 |
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| Q13,378.75 | $1,783.82 |
You can donate directly through us via Paypal (please contact info@defamiliaafamilia.com) or through our sister foundation in the US “Families for Familias” at: www.familiesforfamilias.org
Thanks to your help we have been able to provide medical assistance to a total of 191 women during the previous four Medical Missions. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated!
First Dental Mission, August 2013
Hospital Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro invited Asociación de Familia a Familia to participate in a Dental Mission assisted by Spanish doctors and held on August 19th, 2013. We were given the opportunity, with a two-day notice, to invite 9 participants including children over 10 years old.
A total of 6 women, one man and a 10 year old boy, mainly from Suchitepéquez and Chimaltenango, came to Antigua where they were treated for different dental problems: dental extractions, fillings and cleanings.
One woman and the 10 year old boy were asked to come back 3 days later to finish their treatment. Asociación de Familia a Familia supported them with this subsequent appointment as well. All the participants were provided with transportation back and forth to their hometowns, breakfast, lunch and the cost of the dental consultation. De Familia a Familia also provided them with tooth brushes and toothpaste. All of them were pleased with the results and very grateful.