"I feel joyful to be here by my mother’s side": A Mother Daughter Bond

On the first clinic day in Antigua, the team was abuzz as we met patients and their dedicated family members who accompanied them through the process. Many family members, spouses, and friends sat with our patients during the opening education sessions and traveled with them from place to place. 

While some family members came and went during the patient’s hospital stay, one in particular never left her mother’s side. 

Juana Gonzalez Coloch, had come from just outside of La Paz (about 6 hours from Antigua) with her daughter and caretaker, Jesusa. Prior to 2019, Juana had been suffering arthritis pain in both knees for years. Her daughters, including Jesusa, had been taking turns caring for their mother each month.  

During Juana’s time at Obras Sociales, her hija Jesusa dutifully remained nearby, sitting in a green plastic lawn chair. At night, she slept there, too. It became clear to the team that not only was the daughter there out of love, but she was also a necessary emotional support system for her mother, who suffered intense anxiety throughout the process. 

“I feel joyful to be here by my mother’s side, taking care of her,” Jesusa said.

Despite Juana’s fears, she began to recover quickly. She was the first patient up and walking during Antigua 2019. 

As Juana and Jesusa prepared to leave the hospital, the Travel Team nurses sent her with a parting gift –– a token of admiration and appreciation for all the dedication and daughterly love that they had witnessed in the previous days. 

When asked what matters to her in life, Jesusa said, “To keep going forward. To try to make every day better.”