Something New

Something Different, Something Needed, Something New

Getting Oxygen Should Not Be This Hard

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We just paid $2,000 US dollars for an oxygen concentrator. And yesterday we spent 3,200 soles ($879) for a tank of oxygen in Lima. Together, that total amount is more than the average Peruvian makes in an entire year. Because of your support, we could do what would have been impossible. 

Trust me, I was prepared to pay even more after what I witnessed two nights ago. I was glued to my phone as Jason searched for help, anxiously awaiting updates and praying for peace in the middle of a lot of chaos. While most people at the Hope House have weathered this COVID storm pretty well, we have one very sick person, Juan Carlos. He is loved by all, and the kids are especially fond of who they see as their “abuelo.”

Jason and a few faithful friends spent 6 hours trying to find a hospital on Thursday evening. They knew that at age 73, Juan Carlos needed more than they could offer him. 

So at 6 pm they went to a nearby hospital. There were 14 other people in line ahead of them waiting for oxygen. Juan Carlos’ oxygen level was at 74. They didn’t have time to wait so they drove to another hospital — and another seven hospitals after that.

They spent six hours driving around Lima to find a hospital that could help — they stopped at two public and seven private hospitals. Each one said the same thing — no beds and no oxygen. From what I saw in pictures and updates, COVID has turned hospitals in Lima into war zones.

There were lines of people everywhere, waiting for some form of care. Families spending their entire life savings to bring their own oxygen tanks to sick relatives waiting on the sidewalks outside, desperate to see a doctor. Even the most elite hospital in the city would not look at Juan Carlos.

Worn out and with nowhere else to go, Jason and the crew returned home around midnight on Thursday night.

Miraculously, Juan Carlos made it through the night even with his oxygen dipping into the 60’s at times. Some were trying to prepare Jason and others for his passing. But Jason was full of hope. Hope is for when you can’t see. Hope is believing that anything is possible. Hope brings life.

We know many have been praying. The prayers are making a difference — we are certain of that. It is the one thing we can rely on.

Yesterday morning a small ground team got on the phone starting around 8 am with one mission: find an oxygen tank. It is another miracle that they actually found one. And then an even bigger miracle happened — an oxygen concentrator arrived at the Hope House tonight.

Getting this machine is a testament to how many people are working together to make sure Juan Carlos can breathe. Oxygen shortages, chaotic hospitals, worn-out doctors and faulty infrastructure were not enough to stop our friend, Dr. Wayne, and his Lima-based organization, Health Bridges International, from getting us what we need for the long-haul. Tonight Juan Carlos’ oxygen level is at 92%.  It is ALL a miracle.

This is about more than oxygen. It is about caring for one another. Not giving up. Seeing each other’s problems as our own. Being family and working together. This is the medicine we all need.

So many people do not have what Juan Carlos has.

Community is a gift. Your generosity helps support community at the Hope House in Lima. We could not do this without you. Please keep sharing our story with your friends. We have been humbled and deeply moved by the donations from old and new friends alike. Your help is literally saving a life today.

The last two weeks have felt like a thousand years, and yet like a day. It has been s-t-o-r-m-y, no doubt. But, the people have had everything they need each day. That is what matters most.

Thank you for helping Juan Carlos and so many more. We are so grateful.

COVID Outbreak at the Hope House

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You may think this is crazy, but Jason is back in Lima. We made a quick decision to send him down last week not knowing exactly what it would all look like but feeling a purpose in sending him. 

A couple days ago we began to understand more of the purpose for Jason being there — one young woman in the building just tested positive for COVID-19. Today about 50% of the Hope House residents have at least one COVID symptom. We have been bracing for this moment through the pandemic and now it is here.  

Today I read that there are only 102 ICU beds available in the entire country of Peru right now. 

The President has reinstated strict lockdown measures again to try to slow the spread.  Experts also are saying that Peru needs roughly 1,250 doctors to adequately care for that many ICU beds.  The current number of doctors in Peru — 600.  It starts to feel a little like facing a major battle with just a butter knife.  

Jason is right smack in the middle of it. And the truth is, I could not be happier! 

He has antibodies from his recent COVID sickness and the first dose of vaccine. But more than that, this is what Jason was born to do. This is the man I fell in love with. Someone who used to seek out jobs in emergency rooms and community health clinics. The man who regularly treated snake bites and broken bones as people risked their lives to cross the southern U.S. border in search of something more. And who was affectionately called “Dr. Jason” by many, many patients.  

They are taking every precaution they can in Lima. Everyone is staying isolated in their own room. The ones who are well are taking turns preparing meals and delivering food to those who are sick. Bathrooms are being disinfected after each use.  

Several times a day I hear from Jason after he has made his “rounds” — going through all five floors to each room to check on his patients. As of right now, their symptoms are all being treated with tylenol, ibuprofen and a ton of reassurance.  They do have the best “doctor” I know taking care of them!

Update on Abbey & Alejandro

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By Abbey Puerta

Today, January 29th, 2021, I am 39 weeks pregnant.

I truly thought that Alejandro would be by my side in the hospital room when our son was born. It may have been overly optimistic, but I thought that the USCIS would make my family’s dream come true.

Now we are one week away from our baby’s due date, and I’m in the U.S., but Alejandro is still in Peru. I have spent countless hours on the phone with the USCIS – I have called their office more than 40 times in December and January alone. I have begged and I have pleaded with each agent or Immigration officer who picks up the phone to do everything in their power to help my family. Some immigration officers have attempted to support us, but two of them actually hung up on me. I have made 11 visa expedite requests – all of them have been denied.

Alejandro has gone to the US Embassy in Lima multiple times, sent emails and made phone calls from Peru. We have not seen any forward progress with his visa.

I am starting to understand what MANY families have felt for years – families separated simply because they don’t all have the same paperwork from the U.S. government. It is heart-wrenching not to be able to be together. But like many other families, we are holding onto hope.

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Something New loves to see families together. Abbey and Alejandro, the families in the Hope House in Lima, and the thousands of families who have been locked out of the U.S. due to misinformation and a severe departure from the core values of the United States. We are so hopeful for what is ahead.

Join Us for a Virtual Party!

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This Giving Tuesday, December 1st, join us for our first ever Hope House Virtual Party! You’ll get to meet our friends in Lima, hear some of their stories, and even play a few games. Read more below!