Patient Cases

These cases demonstrate how our ministry works together with the local church to find those in need of medical care and combine that care with evangelism and discipleship to build up the church and proclaim the good news in word and deed. The cases also provide a glimpse into the many roles we fulfill in our medical ministry as we humbly attempt to minister to our patients’ needs on a long-term basis. Our relationship is more than that of doctors with their patients; it is a relationship between neighbors and brothers and sisters in Christ, caring for each other, and living together in community.

Each of the patients in these cases received care in our fully-functioning Bethesda Clinic in the Wichanzao district. We have changed the patients’ names in order to protect their privacy. If you would like to learn more about the current work of the Peru Mission Medical Ministry, visit our webpage or contact Dale Ellison at daleellison@perumission.org.

Serving our Community

At Bethesda Clinic, our patients are also our neighbors. As we respond to Christ’s direction to reach out to the sick and suffering (Matthew 25:31-40), we are committed to serving each of our patients with kindness, professionalism, and personalized care.

Azucena

We first met Azucena when her daughter brought her to us after having a positive experience at Bethesda with another family member. Azucena is 68 and suffers from chest pains and high blood pressure. She lives in the area with her children, and came to us after receiving inconsistent care from the local health post. On her very first visit, Azucena received an EKG and laboratory tests examining blood glucose and cholesterol levels. The remarkable thing is that she received these exams in one place and in one morning, thus avoiding the often frustrating and expensive process of traveling long distances to visit a variety of facilities. We are thankful that Azucena has chosen Bethesda clinic to be her primary care provider. She will now be coming to us to receive regular checkups, treatment of her hypertension, and help in controlling her risk for high cholesterol and heart disease.

Like Azucena, many of our patients find us through word of mouth. We know that God brings each of our patients to us for a reason, and we praise Him for each and every one of them.

Ricardo

Ricardo is a diabetic patient in his ’60s who, after stepping on a piece of glass several months ago, has had serious problems with wounds in his feet.  The wound area has required multiple resections by hospital personnel, but it continues to become infected and resist healing. At Bethesda, we seek to be agents of God’s love and peace to the weak and suffering. This means we seek to provide a calm and caring environment for our patients. Although Ricardo lives near the hospital, he comes to the clinic several times a week for wound care because the clinic offers more personalized, careful care than the frantic, emergency hospital environment is able to provide.

Micki & Verónica

Many children receive care at Bethesda Clinic as we seek to serve the needs of entire families, from infants to the elderly. God certainly has given us a heart for serving the youngest members of our community. Micki is one of them. He was two years old when he came to us after suffering from dysentery for two weeks and receiving incomplete treatment from medications prescribed by a pharmacy. Micki underwent diagnostic tests at Bethesda to check for parasites and to identify the specific cause of his illness.  As a result of the tests and diagnosis, Micki is now receiving a complete course of antibiotic therapy.

At around eleven years old, Verónica is another of our younger patients. She suffers from moderate, persistent asthma and came to the clinic with mildly low oxygen levels after an exacerbation incident.  She received nebulizer treatment and medication for immediate relief, and the doctors started her on a maintenance plan to control her asthma and prevent future flair-ups.

We are hopeful for a healthy future for both Micki and Verónica, and are thankful that God brought them to us so that we might experience the blessing of ministering to each of them through frightening times.

Marwin

Marwin is in his mid-20s and suffered spinal trauma from a paralyzing fall about two years ago.  Originally from a town in the jungle, his family brought him to Trujillo to try and obtain better care.  Unfortunately, Marwin developed severe pressure sores that became infected. The clinic staff was able to educate his family on dressing the wounds and came to offer more complete wound care several times a week.  The clinic also helped provide medication, supplies, and support as Marwin’s sisters, elderly parents, and nieces and nephews took turns rotating between work in the jungle and caring for Marwin in Trujillo.  One sister and her two children attended Wichanzao Church while spending several months in town, and the church hosted a barbecue fundraiser for the family.  One church member also made a trapeze apparatus designed to allow Marwin to use his arms to move himself a little better.  The clinic supported many of these expenses, including costs incurred when Marwin and his family returned to the jungle in March.  Although Marwin is somewhat stabilized, and we have seen improvements in his wounds, we hope and pray that Marwin and his family continue to get the physical treatment as well as the emotional and spiritual support they need to overcome these difficult obstacles.

Long-term Care Commitment

As a primary care clinic we often meet patients who need more specialized treatment than we ourselves are able to provide. When this is the case, rather than just turning patients away to find care elsewhere, we seek to support them through continuing and consistent care, counsel, financial support, and prayer. For our patients battling with life-changing and even terminal illnesses, we seek, with God’s grace, to provide the support they need to meet each challenge along the way.

Belen

Belen is a shy 14-year-old girl who lives in a village four hours from Trujillo, where our Bethesda clinic is located.  In April 2010 Belen’s aunt brought her to the clinic, concerned that she wasn’t eating and that her abdomen was swelling.  During her examination, the clinic doctor was quite concerned that something serious might be wrong.  Subsequent tests led to the diagnosis of a rare and life threatening germ cell ovarian cancer.  As a result of the relationships that we’ve established with local hospitals in the Peruvian national healthcare system, we were able to refer Belen to specialists. She eventually underwent surgery and later chemotherapy.  Throughout her care over the following months, we were able to maintain a close relationship with her and her family, explaining the complicated treatments she was undergoing.  We were also able to raise support from donors in the U.S. to help cover the remaining costs of her hospitalization and chemotherapy.

Throughout the seven long months we worked with Belen, we counseled and prayed with her and her family, and bore testimony to God’s continuous goodness and grace! We rejoice that Belen believes in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Her case demonstrates how we are sometimes called to raise additional funds to help patients receive the care they need but would otherwise be unable to afford, as well as help our patients understand the often complicated process of accessing public health services already in place.

Susana

Susana is 46 and first came to the clinic because of abdominal pain and weight loss.  She had received antacid treatment in the mountain city of Cajamarca for her abdominal pain, but this therapy had not alleviated the problem.  Lab tests conducted at the clinic showed anemia and gastrointestinal blood loss, and the clinic was able to support part of her expenses to receive an endoscopy.  Susana was eventually diagnosed with gastric carcinoma and is now in process to receive surgery and cancer treatment.  The clinic plans to help her through these phases as her primary care provider and, if necessary and possible through the patient fund, support some of her expenses.

Miranda

Miranda is another of our cancer patients. Following a stroke four years ago, Miranda lost her ability to speak clearly and is now confined to a wheelchair. In spite of her limitations, Miranda has opened her heart and home to those in need. After raising several children of her own, she now continues to care for several “adopted children,” including 11-year-old Noé, who faithfully and capably has been accompanying her to her medical appointments. 

Miranda first arrived at Bethesda because of vaginal bleeding. Our obstetrician identified a pelvic mass, and referred Miranda to more specialized testing outside the clinic.  A subsequent biopsy confirmed cervical cancer, and the clinic is planning to provide follow-up counsel and treatment (similar to that of Susana) as Miranda pursues chemotherapy at the local hospital.

Graciela

Sister Graciela, a woman in her early 50s, is a long-term member of the Wichanzao church.  She is a regular patient in our clinic and one of our doctors learned that she had severe progressive arthritis of the hip, and needed a hip replacement to be able to walk without pain.  However, due to the exorbitant cost of this procedure in Peru we looked for other less invasive options, and in the end helped Sister Graciela obtain a free wheelchair through a ministry in Trujillo.  She now is more mobile and able to leave her house more frequently. We continue to pray that God would provide complete healing of Sister Graciela’s painful hip.  Our help to her demonstrates our long-term commitment to caring for our patients and finding workable solutions for their healthcare needs, even when resources are limited.

Treating the Whole Person

Several of our patients must battle not only illness and disability, but also loneliness and rejection. For these patients, only the life-giving light of Jesus Christ can bring total healing (John 1:9). As medical care providers, we provide treatment for physical ailments. As followers of Christ, we minister to our patients with prayer, encouragement, and the Word of God.

Ronald

Ronald is in his early 80s and, although he has a couple of children nearby, they only visit him extremely rarely. Ronald lost his brother six months ago, and must now fight loneliness as well as several physical infirmities.  In addition to high blood pressure, Ronald suffers from a chronic, debilitating arthritic condition that causes him severe joint pain and limits his mobility.  The clinic is working with Ronald to help him manage his pain and control his hypertension. We are also working with Ronald to treat a skin condition called psoriasis.  Through medication and treatment, we are trying to limit its spread, avoid infection, and minimize the discomfort it causes. In the absence of natural family, God has called us to be brothers and sisters to Ronald.   

Lucía

Lucía is in her 80s and, like Ronald, suffers not only from multiple physical ailments, including severe osteoarthritis and limited vision, but also from depression, feelings of uselessness, and family problems.  The clinic is able to offer her pain management and regular visits to her home to see if she needs any further care.  Recently, clinic staff were able to provide foot care after a toenail removal and treat a fungal infection on her skin. While through treatment we can help heal and control Lucía’s physical ailments, only the healing balm of the Holy Spirit can provide lasting relief from Lucía’s deepest problems. For this reason, we continue to lift Lucía before the Lord in prayer, and to encourage her to turn to Christ for  healing.

Armando

Mr. Armando is an elderly gentleman in his 70s who has no family and lives near the church in a neighbor’s living room.  Mr. Armando has no steady income except for the few coins he collects selling candies in the market. We learned of Mr. Armando through the Wichanzao church secretary and since he hadn’t had regular medical care for some time, we arranged for him to come to the clinic. The doctors found that he suffered from a severely enlarged prostate and was also in need of an abdominal hernia repair.  Thankfully, we were able to assist him in obtaining available public health care and two ensuing surgeries.   Throughout his treatments, we bore witness to Mr. Armando of our desire to see him know Christ as his savior.

We are overjoyed to report that Mr. Armando has professed faith in Jesus and become a member of the Wichanzao church. Mr. Armando’s case shows how we are often able not only to provide care ourselves, but also to help our patients gain access to public health insurance and subsidies. In this way, in addition to being health care providers, we function as facilitators for helping patients learn about the options for care currently available to them beyond our facilities.