Emiliana Rodriguez’s childhood memories are a blend of joy and sorrow, intertwined with the haunting specter of a silent killer lurking in the darkness. Growing up in Bolivia, she vividly remembers evenings spent watching her friends play soccer under the moonlit sky. But one fateful night, the game was abruptly halted by the tragic passing of a player, a victim of the insidious disease known as Chagas.
For Rodriguez, the incident cast a long shadow of fear over the night. In the folklore of her upbringing, Chagas was depicted as a monstrous presence that emerged under the cover of darkness, claiming lives without warning. This narrative became all too real when she learned that her friend had succumbed to this silent and silenced disease, one of the thousands who perish annually from its grasp.
Now, at 42 years old and living in Barcelona for over two decades, Rodriguez still grapples with the specter of Chagas that haunts her past. “The terror would grip me at night”, she confides. “There were times when sleep eluded me, fearing that I might never wake up again.”
Her own confrontation with the disease came to light eight years ago, during her first pregnancy. The revelation of her status as a carrier sent shockwaves through her, evoking memories of her childhood trauma. “I felt paralyzed with fear”, she recalls. “The thought of what might happen to my unborn child kept me awake at night.”
Yet, despite the looming threat, Rodriguez embarked on a journey of treatment to safeguard her child from the same fate. Thanks to medical intervention, her daughter emerged unscathed, spared from the clutches of the silent killer that had haunted her family’s history.
Rodriguez’s story is not unique. Across the globe, individuals like Elvira Idalia Hernández Cuevas of Mexico find themselves thrust into the unfamiliar terrain of Chagas disease. For Idalia, the journey began with a routine act of altruism, donating blood. Little did she know that this act would expose her to a hidden danger lurking within her own community.
“When I first heard the diagnosis, I was terrified”, Idalia recounts. “I had never even heard of Chagas before, let alone imagined that I could be its victim.”
Her experience echoes a broader reality, one where awareness of Chagas remains dangerously low, even in regions where the disease exacts its heaviest toll. Originating in the Americas, Chagas has since spread its reach to other continents, ensnaring millions in its silent grip.
In the face of this silent epidemic, efforts to combat Chagas are hindered by a lack of awareness and resources. Outdated treatments offer little solace to those afflicted, with medications often proving toxic and ineffective, particularly for newborns.
Yet, amidst the darkness, there are glimmers of hope. Champions like Emiliana Rodriguez and Elvira Idalia Hernández Cuevas are raising their voices to break the silence surrounding Chagas. Through advocacy and awareness campaigns, they seek to shine a light on this neglected disease, urging communities to confront the monster lurking in their midst.
As the world grapples with the challenge of eradicating Chagas by 2030, the road ahead remains daunting. But with each voice raised in solidarity, the hope for a future free from the shackles of Chagas grows stronger.
In the battle against this silent killer, knowledge is our most potent weapon. By arming ourselves with awareness and understanding, we can confront Chagas head-on, ensuring that no more lives are claimed by the darkness.
Mom assumes baby is safe with dad till she gets a hair rasing text message – she rushes home to see the worst
A significant turning point in many people’s lives is becoming parents. Another human person needs you to be there for them at all times, and they depend entirely on you. However, not everyone is prepared for this level of accountability.
Continue reading to learn more.Angie Setlak was really anxious when she was expecting her son, Xavier. She tried to devote all of her attention to their young son because her partner had been unfaithful.
She had imagined that all would change after the baby boy was born, but that fantasy quickly gave way to a nightmare. She got a message from her partner one day. She didn’t have much time to save their son’s life once she received the message.The worst fear for any parent is that their small child may suffer harm.
No matter how big or small your child is, as a parent you will stop at nothing to ensure their safety.
However, on rare occasions, we also learn of people who are not at all qualified to be parents.
When everything went wrong, Angie Setlak was expecting her and her boyfriend’s kid, Xavier. Her partner was not at all interested in her, even though she was counting down the seconds as her tummy continued to swell.He was unfaithful all the time, breaking Angie’s heart over and over.So things turned upside down again when the son was delivered four weeks early.
His father’s infidelity caused us to have a stressful pregnancy, which had an impact on both the baby and my blood pressure. However, we succeeded, and he was born perfectly healthy. The physicians, who had predicted he would remain in my womb until his due date, were taken aback when he erupted in a fit of rage. After spending 16 days in the hospital, we returned home, and I had three wonderful months at home with my child,” Angie says to Love What Matters.One individual, though, found it difficult to adjust to the new existence.His father and Xavier were left alone one day. Furthermore, Xavier’s father, who was expected to look after the child while mother Angie returned to her job, was unable to cope.Angie was going to start her first job after her maternity leave when she went through something that nobody should have to go through.
She received numerous texts from her partner throughout the day complaining about how hard it was to care for their son. “Xavier’s father had been texting me all day about how difficult his life was, and I assured him that we would find a different way so he wouldn’t have to look after him by himself during the day. She tells the website that during his parental leave, he had only spent a maximum of two hours by himself with him, and it had gone well.The arrangement was for me to look after Xavier during the day while I worked, and for him to look after him at night while he worked. He worked evenings. My spouse kept telling me that everything would be well, even though I was really anxious about the scenario because, after all, he had raised a 10-year-old.But everything changed when the message arrived.He sent his girlfriend a startling text later that day in which Xavier’s father requested whether he might kill the boy. “I received a text from him on my first day back at work after taking maternity leave, asking if he could kill our child right away. I told him I was heading home and asked him not to bother.
Not too long afterward, she got another message.Xavier’s breathing stopped.Mom Angie hurried to the hospital after the small child was taken there immediately.The father insisted that their son had choked on milk, even though the boy had brain damage.Angie soon found out, though.Xavier spent two weeks in a medically induced coma to aid him. They warned his mother that he might not wake up and gradually weaned him off of his medication. We battled against two foes. Trauma and the period of time his brain was devoid of oxygen. I heard everything from “he might never learn to walk, talk, or move” to “he might be blind.” But I remained confident that he will return to me,” the mother remarked. Angie was able to go home with her son after spending 17 days in the hospital.
In contrast, Xavier’s father was taken into custody on charges of abusing his child.Angie claims that the police believed the father had given Xavier a violent shaking that seriously injured his brain.Xavier has had more surgeries since then and is getting stronger every day. The wonderful little Xavier is the only person in his mother Angie’s life; his father has been absent for a long time.”I’m hoping that someone who reads our narrative would be moved to tears and understand how crucial it is to never shake a newborn. You should never, ever shake a baby. Avoiding it is quite simple. My child was irreparably altered by a fit of rage.
This story really breaks my heart. How could the father of a kid commit such a horrific act? Spread the word about this to increase awareness.
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