Doña Antonia

While conducting a survey in the community, we learned that the majority of the population of persons living in the 190+ houses in El Cielo are males under the age of 40, mostly adolescents.

Which makes the case of Doña Antonia so special. No one is sure how old she is really. Some people say she is in her 80's, some in her 90's and some family members have even said she's a 100 years old. No matter the age, she is easily one of the oldest people living in El Cielo and certainly one of the oldest people I've come into contact with in the DR period.

She is incontinent, so we have been providing her with Depends when we have them donated to the clinic. We were also able to get her a walker through our contacts with the Dominican Rehabilitation Association. Before receiving the walker she fell often, injuring her lower limbs frequently. Since receiving the walker, she hasn't fallen once!

Doña Antonia's husband died a few years ago and she has expressed her wish to be at peace and join him. Its sad for me to hear an older person say something like that, although in some sense I can understand her. Its my belief that the Lord leaves us here on earth for a reason. She has several adult children, of which the two or three I've met are very troubled persons. Doña Antonia has great faith and I believe that her purpose in still being with us is to minister to her children and others.

I'm thankful if we can even just make her a little more comfortable while she is living. Life is hard here. The heat, all of the work, the lack of transportation, and the broken, concrete streets and houses where she walks. I have so much respect for a woman like Doña Antonia who has overcome so much and still remains positive.

I hope that I can learn from her example!

Blessings,

Anna