By Matias Radunz | Project Support
At 76 years of age and thanks to the support she receives from Hogar de Cristo's Home Care Program for the Elderly (PADAM), Beatriz is determined to finish her studies, which only went up to the third grade. "From the age of four to 12, I grew up in hospitals," she says. Her story is marked by illness and resilience.
In October, Beatriz will celebrate 15 years living in the Manuel Bustos camp in Viña del Mar, the largest in the country. And in the midst of its steep and dusty streets, it is hard to imagine her moving from one place to another due to the enormous difficulties she has walking. She now uses a wheelchair and canes.
"From the age of four to twelve, I grew up in hospitals. Only when the doctor gave me permission, I could go to school. Since I was a child, I walked with crooked knees. She was born with hip dysplasia that was never treated. "I walked just like the ducklings". At the age of 11, she was operated on at the old Deformes Hospital. Twice. And she was evicted. They told her father she would never be able to walk.
"My dad remarried and my stepmother was a very good, excellent woman. I told my father, who was illiterate and devoted to the Virgin of Lo Vasquez, that I was going to walk. Hiddenly I began to practice to stand up, every day I stood up with the help of a floor. When I saw my dad coming, I would sit on the bed. One Sunday I surprised the three of them: I moved the floor and started to walk. They all started crying.
Beatriz asked her father to make her some canes at the Metalmar factory where he worked. "The masters made me those canes and with that I could start living."
But she was in too much of a hurry. At 15 she became pregnant by a man 10 years older who was in the Navy and, although he wanted to marry, she turned him down. "He was a drinker and a womanizer, what life was he going to give me? The doctors told me I should have an abortion, that my body would not resist the pregnancy, but I also refused. If God sent me a daughter, there must be a reason."
Beatriz worked to support her daughter, always as a nanny and in two-story houses. "It was like a curse to have to climb stairs," she adds. Indeed, today her 60-year-old daughter is her main support. She has given her a grandchild and a great-grandchild who are her greatest joy.
GOING FOR A WALK ON THE PAVEMENT
She remembers perfectly well when Hogar de Cristo knocked on her door to offer her to be part of PADAM in the Manuel Bustos camp. Today there are 30 older adults who are bedridden or moderately to severely dependent, who are being visited by the entire team, which includes six monitors.
"When they came from Hogar de Cristo, I was very happy. I was happy to join, because although my daughter comes to see me, she has to work and can't take care of me all the time. Five years ago I had cancer and that is why my health has weakened even more", she says.
Her daughter admits that her mother has also had some depression. "That's why I am very grateful for this support for her and for me. It's not good for her to be alone. On weekends I always come to stay with her, but during the week, I can't."
Thanks to the PADAM support she receives, Beatriz now dreams of going out to downtown Viña del Mar. "I miss the pavement, don't you see that there are no paved streets here," she says, saying goodbye with a smile.
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser