Living with a disability is a huge disadvantage all over the world, but especially in Guatemala where 14% of the population lives with a physical or mental disability. With almost no government help, those with disabilities live very isolated lives. According to the World Health Organization, people with disabilities make up 15% of the world’s population making them the largest minority group with 80% of them living in developing countries. Children comprise approximately one-third of the world’s disabled population and approximately 65% of the disabilities affecting children are preventable (Community Based Rehabilitation, M Peats).

Mayra Duran began working with children with special needs at El Faro in 2012. Toward the end of last year Mayra became aware of two special cases in the village who were in desperate need of physical therapy. At the same time that Mayra was to start working with them a group of physical therapy students from Shenendoah University traveled to El Faro with the purpose of meeting the disabled children to teach them and their families exercises. With God’s perfect timing intertwining Mayra and Shenendoah, Mayra knew that God was opening up opportunities to work with these children. In addition, a young girl from the village named Elsa began her first year of physical theraphy school and was able to team up with Mayra to work with the patients.

Mayra traveled with the team to the houses where she was taught specific exercises to do with the patients. A second team came from Shenedoah later in the year and with the progress that Mayra and Elsa had done with the patients already this year were able to add additional exercises.

Karlita is a beautiful young woman who is 22 years old. When her mother was 8-months pregnant she contracted hepatitis causing Karlita to be born deaf, blind, and with cerebral palsy. She can sit up, but she doesn’t walk and has to eat all her food in liquid form because she can’t swallow. When Mayra and Elsa first began to work with her, Karlita would not let them touch her without her mother also there and fought against the therapy exercises. Today Mayra and Elsa arrive at the house where they immediately have her feel their faces to know who they are and she is able to perform her exercises. Shenendoah provided leg braces and exercises to strengthen her legs and since she has been making progress towards walking someday.

Melvin is 18 and when he was seven months old contracted meningitis causing him to have cerebal palsy and also loss of his motor skills. He never has walked and had never received any kind of therapy until Mayra started visiting him. Spending all his life in a hammock has caused him to be extremely limited in his movements and that is specifically where Mayra and Elsa focus. They are working on exercises to strengthen both his arms and legs and have seen much progress especially since he can now stretch his legs.

Elsa meets with the patients three times a week walking from her house which sometimes takes an hour. The distance doesn’t affect her because she is so excited to work with the patients and continue to learn.

Karlita and Melvin are just two stories of the hundreds that exist across the county of Guatemala. We applaud Mayra and Elsa for the time and love they invest in the lives not only of the patients, but of their families. We are also so grateful to Shenendoah University for the teams they have brought down because they are helping make a change for the disabled community of Guatemala.

If you want to know more about Mayra and how you can support her, please click HERE