Profile for Zonia Martines
On Wednesday, October 12, Jennifer Grasso (Patient Referral Lead) and Dr. Jenny (Medical Brigades Program Lead) visited with Zonia Martines. Zonia is a hardworking, 33-year-old woman who lives along a roadside in Joya Grande, Honduras. She lives with her 4 children and husband in a one-room wooden hut where they also cook and sell plantains, chips, and fruits.
In January 2011, Zonia began suffering from abdominal pain that started to spread to her back. She started by seeking relief at a nearby health center where she was prescribed oral pain medications but soon the pain got worse and she required injections to relieve the pain.
By March, the abdominal pain was so bad that not even the injections subdued it. She began feeling nauseous and would sometimes vomit from the amount of pain. It became apparent that she needed to make a trip to Tegucigalpa, the capitol city for further diagnostic tests. In the city, Zonia got a lab test and an ultrasound and was eventually diagnosed with kidney stones. She was told she would need to have surgery to get rid of them but Zonia has yet to make an appointment for the procedure because she knows she cannot pay for it. She says she has since been experiencing periodic spells of severe pain that often keep her from being able to work, which is a financial burden on her family. When she experiences pain, all she is able to do is get an injection from the local health center in hopes of achieving minimal relief.
Since Zonia is unable to pass the kidney stones, she will need a surgery in order to avoid renal failure. This is where you as students and volunteers come in! We are asking for your help in fundraising and soliciting donations for this patient so that we can relieve her of this terrible pain and avoid potentially serious health complications in the future. Let’s take action! Please contact Jennifer Grasso at jennifer@globalbrigades.org to find out how you can make a donation or organize a fundraiser.
