Rosa & Danilo Alduendo
“I feel like I owe everything to Faith Family,” says Rosa Alduendo. Rosa and her husband Danilo are originally from Mexico and have lived in Nashville since 1993. It was one of their ten children, Margarita, who first introduced them to Faith Family. Now in their early 70s, Rosa and Danilo have been Faith Family patients for nearly six years. During that time each of them have had serious health problems.
“Before we found Faith Family, we were struggling to take care of ourselves,” Rosa remembers. “We weren’t getting answers at other clinics.” In 205, Faith Family staff referred Rosa to a specialist after noticing abnormal kidney function; she was diagnosed with lupus nephritis. “They sent me to a wonderful specialist; for this I’ve been very blessed,” says Rosa. Thanks to Faith Family, I’m still alive,” she adds. Together with her specialist, Rosa’s caregivers at Faith Family work to manage her chronic illness.
Danilo’s medical problems started a year and a half ago when he was working in his garage and moved a heavy piece of equipment. He felt pain in his back and by the next day was unable to stand or walk. Faith Family staff stood by Danilo and his family as he was admitted to two hospitals and eventually told he had abscesses on his spine. Even after surgery to remove the abscesses, Danilo’s health continued to decline as he experienced a series of infections and eventually had to undergo a colostomy. He never regained his ability to walk. Danilo returned home to the joy of his family in late summer, 2007.
“Rosa’s my companion, she takes care of me,” Danilo says of his wife of 53 years. Indeed, Rosa, who works as a childcare provider part-time, has been Danilo’s primary care giver ever since he came home. As they adjusted to his new limitations, Danilo started to hope for a motorized wheelchair. “I remember saying around Christmas last year that maybe God would send one,” says Danilo. That same month, the Menefee family made a donation to Faith Family: a motorized wheelchair that had formerly belonged to Albert Menefee, a strong supporter of the clinic who passed away last year. Faith Family staff thought immediately of Danilo. The motorized chair has significantly improved Danilo’s quality of life, giving him a greater degree of independence. “We are very, very grateful to the Menefee family,” says Danilo, and to God, who brought us to Faith Family and to everyone at the clinic. They have helped us in every way they could.”