A Big Small Miracle in Peru

Last year about this time, the Peruvian woman in this picture had just delivered a baby (who is now the thriving little girl in the red sweater). Yet, amid that happy event was devastation around the family. Their home in Trujillo had been destroyed from flooding brought by Cyclone Yaku, a violent storm that hit the coast of Peru in March 2023. And while there was water everywhere, it was not clean and safe to use. The flooding, coupled with an excessive heat wave, also exacerbated an outbreak of the deadly dengue fever – a mosquito-borne infection that infected 220,000 people and killed more than 400 Peruvians last spring.

This year, thanks to the Hermanas (Sisters) de Bon Secours in Peru, the family has a new house that is clean and well-built. Their home is also equipped with a water purifier to address the general problem of potable water availability in the area.

As we all stood in her new kitchen, the mother in the photo demonstrated how she uses the water purifier. She poured a sippy cup of fresh water and offered it to her beautiful toddler. The mother shared with us that not only has her family benefitted from the water purifier, they also are able to share clean water with their neighbors.

House in Trujillo

I met this amazing family because Ratish and I traveled to Peru from July 10-14 with Camille Grippon, the Bon Secours Mercy Health director of global affairs. Last year the Mission Outreach team worked with Camille to ship the water purifiers and adult/children’s Tylenol (thanks to our friends at Henry Schein) to Peru in the wake of the Cyclone Yaku disaster. We were honored to play a small role in such an incredible effort.

We were invited to visit this July to meet with Camille and the Hermanas de Bon Secours and learn about the ongoing medical and community health services. Mission Outreach is eager to further support the work of the Hermanas through partnership with Bon Secours Mercy Health. While we were there, we visited a few families who receive community health services and support from the Hermanas de Bon Secours.

That little girl in the red sweater enjoying a drink of water was a small act that holds so many big miracles within it. In the midst of all the huge problems and dire headlines in our world, something as simple as watching a loving mother give her healthy baby a sip of clean water felt so profound. I couldn’t help thinking that this is humanity at our best – when we all collaborate to make sure every person’s basic needs are met.

You’re going to hear a lot more about our collaboration with the Hermanas and Bon Secours Mercy Health to support work in Peru – our short visit this month was filled with listening and learning, and already we’re talking about another shipment to provide critical health and medical items to advance community and medical health services in the Lima and Trujillo areas.

Take a few seconds to reflect again on the photo. You made it possible because you’re a part of Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach – I hope this little girl drinking water reminds you that the biggest miracles in the world are often found in the seemingly smallest events.