We were approached today by a woman that was asking for money. Not an unusual daily occurrence here. So I asked her why she needed my money. She explained that she had just given birth to a premature baby and was trying to get to Agua Prieta with her other son that accompanied her (he looked about 3 years old).
Yun spoke with her further at length and we decided her story was legitimate. So we bought her a bus ticket to where she wanted to go. All was fine. And then maybe 15 minutes later she approached again for help with her baby. The baby wasn’t responsive and wasn’t waking up. In fact, he didn’t look alive. The mother was in a panic. We tried to remain calm. Yun eventually got the baby to respond and it was good to know he was still alive.
The mother hadn’t eaten in a while and it seemed like maybe it would be a good idea to feed the baby. Yun took her to a bathroom to do that and that seemed to improve the situation. We bought the mother a meal (one of my favorites; picadillo). She looked like she hadn’t eaten in days.
Yun spent more time with her and the baby until it was time for her to depart on her bus. The mother was in her early 20s. Her prior baby was from a man that had been incarcerated. As a result, her family disowned her. She then found another man which eventually got her pregnant as well. So he left her. She came to Hermosillo to try to find her family. She had no money and was at the mercy of the help of others. She found people willing to help her.
She was never able to find her family, but instead her baby (named Angel) was ready to be delivered a month early. So she went to the public hospital. Not a good place to go, but better than nothing I suppose (although that could be debated). So she gave birth and then was left to figure out what to do. With her baby wrapped in a blanket. In the blazing sun.
Yun and one of our employees eventually put her on the bus and said goodbye. She called an hour ago (roughly 5 hours after departure) to tell us she had arrived. She met an aunt on the way there that happened to be on the same bus who gave her information for her family in Hermosillo. Hopefully she’ll find a place to stay. Not an easy life to be sure.