Los Laureles, Honduras

Vitamin Angels met Maria and Pabling Cruz and their children in 2008 during a visit to Honduras with our partners at Cristo Salva. Maria (26) and Pabling (27) are parents of six children, Maria age 11, Karla age 9, Marcos age 7, Pabling age 5, Brenda age 3 and Daniel 9 months. When Vitamin Angels visited two years ago, Brenda was just a baby. Now, she is a thriving three year old with a new younger brother, Daniel.

The Cruz family lives in the little community of Los Laureles near a dump. Seven families live in a communal environment with their homes attached to one another. Each of the families is well known to our partners at Cristo Salva, who were able to tell us all about the families, who lives where and the relationships between each.

Pat Havener RN and Medical Director for Cristo Salva writes:

We first found the village driving by. I actually saw a naked child squatting to go to the bathroom and I yelled, "We need to go there!" When we first arrived, the children were pretty scrawny, with very large bellies. That was back in 2002. We have been visiting every since.

These families would walk to the dump, find items to sell and if there was food there, would bring it home to the family. We were and continue to be the only medical care these families ever have. They had never seen crayons, or eaten ice cream (they actually tried to put ice cream in their pockets). There was only one man that could read, and when we left instructions, he would read them to everyone. We left medicine with instructions. And we left vitamins and antiparasitic tablets. We began to see a difference almost immediately in the health of the children. We then started leaving prenatal vitamins.

When we started the women would not let us in the homes, but began to ask for me to examine them while pregnant. They had never heard a baby's heart beat before; never had any sort of prenatal care. Most of the women had lost at least one baby, some more. The babies are born on the dirt floors in the homes. The mom's squat to deliver. We were diligent in visiting them, bringing vitamins every visit and parasite meds every six months. We brought safe delivery kits. We brought water filters; at first only one. The families made the decision to give it to Maria. She was pregnant with Pabling at the time and they felt she should have clean water first. There is such a strong sense of community among them.

New babies are born at least once a year. We have only had one miscarriage and one baby that died in childbirth (the cord wrapped around baby's neck) since we have started visiting them. They have become family, and wait for our visits. They now have a cow, a couple of pigs, and chickens. They are starting to grow vegetables. Where they live is surrounded by new construction, we have feared for their homes, but they feel they are safe where they are. The children are now attending school, we were able to supply school uniforms for them and school supplies and they read to the moms. The teenage girls are beautiful. Some of their moms had started having babies at the age of 12, but these girls are 16 and 17 years old and still in the homes. We are excited to see them grow up.

Vitamin Angels has had a major impact on the lives of these families, first with vitamins then parasite medications and finally with prenatals. I know with each child born we see improved health. These women have now been on vitamins and prenatals for several years, continually. It is making a difference in their health as well as the lives of the babies. Thank you. My eyes have seen things that many never experience. I have been blessed to be a part of making a difference in the lives of these families with your help.

The families of Los Laureles say "gracias." And we at Cristo Salva also say thank you.