In a desperate moment, a mom looked for help
At first, Maria didn’t know where to go when a playground injury threatened her child’s eyesight
She remembers it clearly, though it happened years ago. An ordinary day at the playground with her young kids led to a desperate moment, when one child got sand in his eyes.
She froze when it happened. Her child’s vision was at risk, and they needed medical help right way. But what to do? Where to go that they could afford? Then Maria Concepción G. remembered the organization that had helped her when she was pregnant, back in 2001, and had since opened a walk-in clinic. So she took her son to OneWorld, where a team took care of him and washed the sand from his eyes.
“It was a place where they helped me a lot and I’ll never forget it,” Maria said*.
For Maria’s child, that trip to OneWorld prevented future vision problems. And for the whole family, it was one of many occasions OneWorld has been there in a time of need. She said OneWorld has helped her family a lot by providing access to lower cost prescription drugs, making referrals to specialists, giving nutrition guidance and offering learning opportunities.
The Learning Community Center, for example, has helped Maria learn English, which has helped her communicate with doctors and her kids’ teachers.
“So these are things that, not only for us as parents but also our children, open doors. Thanks to that program, my son entered first grade and could read,” she said.
Maria is grateful for the support not just of those who help fund health care and other programming at OneWorld, but also for all the teams who work there. She knows the work can come at a personal sacrifice, and that not everyone cares so deeply about the community.
She encourages others in the community to get to know more about her own culture, and of the many cultures of Hispanic people. Maria wants people to get to know each other and what they need as individuals, in a heartfelt way, in order to help each other.
To Maria’s family and so many others, ensuring access to medical care has been an essential way to help. And it makes a difference – whether that health care access prevents long-term harm from a playground accident or allows a family member to take prescribed medications.
“It’s the most important thing, because without health, we have nothing,” Maria said.
*Maria’s interview was conducted in Spanish and has been translated into English.