Elena

Elena Drono is sponsored by Keep Hope Alive in the Barossa Valley South Australia

I have met Elena and spent time in her home with her children.

Elena has 7 other children!!! She has been widowed and remarried the two children in the picture are by her new husband Jackson who is 26 years old. He is a labourer and works away from home during the week and comes home on the weekends he earns about 1,200 pesos per week. They are good parents and they work together to care for their little ones especially, while she goes to the clinic for pregnancy check ups he comes home and watches the little ones…..that is remarkable in Baseco!!!

In these pictures she was 8 months pregnant. Her two youngest are gorgeous, healthy (considering) and happy!

She lives in a very clean house suspended above an extremely “green” lake!! unfortunately their lakeside view is infested with algae and dengue infected mosquitoes…….

If you carefully you can see the Kermit the frog green only one foot or so under the house. This is the circumstance many women face raising children, birthing and living in Baseco. The constant threat of disease and sickness always lurking.

 

Since my visit I have learned that Elena gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named “Precious Garcia” on Nov. 12 2010. She is described by the leaders in the church as very cute and beautiful, she weighed   2.1 kg and she is being breastfeed successfully by her Elena!

Elena was actually in hospital for 7 days as she had high blood pressure, she came home with medicine. This would have been very very difficult for this family without Birthing Better Babies. She also wants a tubal ligation which we have helped her fund as she is 39 and worried about too many more mouths to feed. She had to have the operation postponed due to the illness after birth but will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

But the baby is gorgeous!!

Both mother and baby look fantastic, thanks Keep Hope Alive for your sponsorship……..these beautiful babes have an Aussie kiss on their foreheads! Bless you all! The women of Baseco thank you too!