TIDWELLFUNDGT
THE TIDWELL FUND
Providing Medical Relief to the Poor of Rural Guatemala
How the Fund Began
Hello I am Jasmine Tidwell, MD. I am glad that you are taking some time to read about this cause and I hope you can be part of it. Let me give you some background about myself and why I decided to create this Fund to help people in Guatemala. From the ages of 6-12, I lived in rural Guatemala while my parents were doing volunteer medical mission work. Even at a young age, I realized the poverty and desperation of this population.
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After finishing high school in the U.S., I returned to Guatemala to attend medical school. When I was doing my training at the hospital in Coban, Guatemala, I saw patients unnecessarily suffering due to poverty. Now that I have graduated as a doctor, I wanted to create a Fund to help these patients continuously.
HOW THE FUND HELPS
The Problem
When someone is ill or has been in a tragic accident, family members travel long distances to bring the patient into a regional hospital which is in Coban, Guatemala. Since there is no insurance in Guatemala, the financial burden is on the family to pay for all tests and treatments. On $7 a day average wage, it may take several days to gather enough funds from friends and family to pay the cost for tests. Imaging tests are particularly expensive with an average cost of $100 for a needed CT scan or MRI. Sadly, no medical treatment can be initiated until the diagnostic testing is paid for by the family.
The Current Situation
I first hand observed patients get sicker and suffering in pain while awaiting funds for needed diagnostic testing. Indeed, I witnessed children and adults die needlessly without these test results to guide proper diagnosis and treatment!
A Compassion-filled Solution
Thus, I established the Tidwell Fund to provide a financial resource to quickly pay for needed diagnostic testing for children and adults. When the Coban Hospital social worker determines financial need, she arranges for withdrawal of money from the Fund to cover the cost of needed diagnostic testing.
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Through the compassion and financial generosity of donors to the Tidwell Fund, needless suffering and death of people can be alleviated.
A FEW OF THOSE YOU HAVE HELPED
"to one of the least of these" Matt. 25:40
DONATE
Thank you for donation!