The Impact of Compassionate Care

Written by Shannon Sotomayor , January 3, 2024

Yaneri is a 43-year-old mother of three children living in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Raised by her grandfather after her father’s untimely passing, she, along with her two brothers, faced the daily struggle to make ends meet. Yaneri took on the responsibilities of cleaning houses and babysitting, while her brothers sold oranges and shined shoes on the streets. Together, they scraped together meager earnings to survive.

Seven years ago, Yaneri’s life took an unexpected turn when she started experiencing chronic kidney pain. It wasn’t until a sudden deterioration in her condition landed her in the hospital, where she received a blood transfusion, that she learned about her kidney condition. A subsequent abdominal sonography revealed the presence of lithiasis. Yaneri recognized that with proper education about her illness, she could have taken better care of herself and alleviated the pain she endured during treatment.

Yaneri’s pain persisted, so she sought help from a clinician. Frustrated by the delay in seeing a gastroenterologist, she turned to a family physician for immediate intervention. A series of tests revealed high white blood cell count, infections, and anemia. Further investigations through ultrasound and tomography confirmed that Yaneri suffered from renal lithiasis with left renal atrophy. To preserve her remaining kidney, her physician recommended a radical nephrectomy.

A glimmer of hope emerged when she was referred to a nephrologist and subsequently connected with OWS through her pastor. Guided by the compassionate support of OWS’s social worker, Gregory, and the expertise of Dr. Genesis Betemit, one of OWS’s physicians, Yaneri received the necessary assistance for her surgery, including comprehensive studies, analyses, and complete coverage of the operation costs.

“I cannot thank OWS enough for their unconditional support and care they provided. Thank you so much to everyone who supported me during this process.”