For those of you who have a connection with this family, you might be surprised to receive an update about “The Marias”. Both have passed away years ago now, however, we have maintained contact with the family. Oti (short for Othelia) is the niece of both sisters. You may have seen her around and greeted her if you came down on a trip and visited one or both of the Marias. When the last sister passed away, Oti and her husband Hector stayed in the house. The owner of the land had also granted them permission to live there and they had built a house in the back half of the land.
It was at this point we had begun a relationship with Oti and Hector. Oti had said they kind of always wanted to stay low-key as her elderly aunts were the ones that truly needed help from us. Hector has his own shop where he repairs various things and until recently, has been able to sustain the two of them and their mentally disabled niece. Due to financial struggles, the space he rented for his shop was sold by the owner and he had to find somewhere else to “set up shop”! He asked us if it would be ok to move everything to the house, where there is plenty of room to work in the outdoor storage area that Maria had built years ago. We were surprised that they asked, but they wanted to be respectful since “we built the house.” We told them of course it would be ok and that it sounded like it would be more ideal for him.
Recently, however, Hector had a fall that left him unconscious for a few days! Not only has he not been able to work but he has also been struggling with some physical issues like blurred vision and headaches. Currently we are helping him get the appropriate testing and doctor’s visits taken care of to help him. Oti also has struggled with weak knees for a while. She has gotten injections and taken vitamins as prescribed by doctors but to no avail. They say she needs knee replacement surgery but they wouldn’t operate on her because of her fainting spells and they have been trying to treat that but it is a daily struggle. With COVID creating an even more volatile medical situation in the country, it has been even more difficult to receive outpatient care.
We continue to visit with them and monitor their health situation and provide nutritional support as needed. Prayers for their complete healing are definitely warranted!
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