Dr. Nubia Huete caring for a newborn at Clinica Verde
A single mother named Maria Urbina Mendez from the village of El Tule showed up at the clinic carrying her 7-month-old baby, Danilo, and accompanied by her 5-year-old daughter, Maria Jesus. It was clear to the staff immediately that they were all malnourished. The baby, Clinic Director Dr. Alba Castillo reported, appeared to be only 2 months old, and the little girl looked like a 3-year-old. The Clinica Verde nurses and doctors attended to their needs.
One of our nurses, Jasmina Diaz, noted that the baby wouldn’t stop crying. She asked the mother, “Why does she cry?” The mother responded that the baby was hungry. Jasmina suggested the mother give the baby her breast to nurse. The mother said, “I have no milk.” Jasmina consulted with Dr. Nubia Huete and they gave the baby some sugared water. The baby stopped crying immediately. Jasmina and Dr. Huete wanted to help this family. They asked the rest of the Clinica Verde staff if they would contribute to a collection to provide the family with basic foods and supplies. They made an appointment for Maria and her family to come back, and when the young family returned the staff of Clinica Verde presented them with all that they had gathered and donated: clothes for the entire family, food, diapers, wipes. “It was a happy and emotional day for the whole staff,” Dr. Castillo reported.
None of the staff at Clinica Verde is wealthy. They all have families and scarce resources themselves. But they understand the mission to serve with love and compassion the poorest of the poor. We were so proud and pleased to hear this story, and feel confident that our staff understands what it means to work at Clinica Verde.