Meet Catarina
One summer evening in 2012, twenty-five year old Catarina Ramirez was getting ready for bed. She was living in Escuintla, Guatemala and had difficulty getting around the house. It had been 10 years since the motorcycle accident that cost her leg – an accident she had learned to push from her mind. She had received a prosthetic leg in 2011, but the fitting was too small and couldn’t be worn. She eventually made it to her room and crawled into bed. She was exhausted from helping her mother care for her seven siblings; her father had passed away a few years earlier. As she drifted off, she had a dream she would never forget.
In the dream, someone came to Catarina and said “Here – this
is for you. Put it on!” They handed her a new prosthetic leg. She put it on
with excitement. It fit perfectly, and was so lightweight she wanted to stand
up and run. So she did. She ran and ran, not wanting to ever sit down again.
She cried with gratitude at the chance to start over with a new leg. Then Catarina
woke up.
Despite the initial heartbreak she felt when she woke,
Catarina got up and began to help her family. About 2 hours later she received a
phone call that would change her life. She was told about the UVU International
Service Abroad Club coming to Guatemala, and was told that they had a new
prosthetic leg for her – free of charge. They asked her to come to the capital
as soon as possible. She cried with gratitude, said a prayer, and found a ride.
When she arrived, she told the ISA members about her dream
and her family. She told them about her ambition to work in a restaurant and
continue her education. When 2 ft
Prosthetics fit a new prosthetic, she was amazed to learn that they could
also re-fit her old prosthetic. Catarina’s dream had come true. Before leaving,
Catarina said “God is my strength; anything is possible with God’s help. Thank
you so much for your help, and may God bless you!”
