Chiqui and team respond to COVID-19 crisis

Guatemala has many incredible people, but none shine brighter than one of my closest and most precious friends, Dr. Ariadna Cifuentes, aka Chiqui. She overcame a serious, discapacitating childhood injury by the Lord´s grace and her strength of character. Over the years, Ariadna has had a very prestigious career helping many patients in Guatemala from diverse areas and backgrounds, and is a beloved physician in the Quetzaltenango area, and indeed, throughout Guatemala.

Her achievements have won her the ¨Person of the Year¨ award in Guatemala, as well as best professor awards from the main university of Guatemala, Universidad of San Carlos, where she has taught in the medical school for well over twenty years. Ariadna, Dr. Carlos Fernández, Roger, and I (along with our children) traveled all over Guatemala holding mobile clinics during our younger years, and we have had unforgettable memories forged together.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, all countries have been concerned about the lack of ventilators in the event that the number of infections sweep their populations. Guatemala also has a very real concern that the number of sick might outrun their ability to help them with ventilator support. Ariadna has been working with a team consisting of her, an infectious disease specialist, an anesthesiologist, and a couple of mechanical engineers to design a ventilator that can be used as a stop-gap and allow more time to find a respirator for patients who need respiratory support. Ariadna is on the far left in the group photo.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.