Love has been the motor of a young woman from Valle del Cauca named Carolina Gómez Grajales, who takes care of her mother, whose body has been paralyzed for 20 years.
The woman, now 63 years old, is bedridden, between unpainted brick walls in the humble Villa del Sol neighborhood.
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The town is in the municipality of La Unión, in the north of the valley del Cauca, where Carolina had to leave her studies at the school since I was a girl of only 7 years.
“I am 27 years old and this is my story. I left school to be with my mom. I always take care of her because I love her very much, I have been like a nurse, I do the laps, ”says the young woman, who during these two decades has shown strength in the critical state of her parent, Nelly Grajales, due to rheumatoid arthritis. . It is the disease that began with severe pain in her hands and legs when Carolina was a child, and then she subdued her from severe swelling until she reached her muscular rigidity.
According to the Secretary of Health of the Valley, this pathology is prevalent among people over 18 years of age, of which 80 percent occurs, especially in women.
Carolina does not leave the house because Mrs. Nelly needs permanent care for almost 24 hours. For this reason, his father, Rafael Gómez, has always sought to support the family, through recycling. And although there are three older Carolina siblings, they have their own homes and needs. This is how the young woman explains it.
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The daughter also takes care of the father, because in addition to diabetes, he suffers from leukemia and eight months ago a hammer fell on his foot that left him critically ill, to the point that his daughter had to take him to the hospital in another municipality: Tuluá, in the center of Valle del Cauca and one hour from La Unión, after many pleas to the EPS to cover the expenses.
To leave Doña Nelly alone, Carolina went to the help of a relative and neighbors, while she accompanied the father to the care center.. “It was a process because I had to be traveling, but first I had to do things for my mother, bathe her, dress her, give her food, everything,” the young woman continues.
The father had surgery at the hospital and has already returned home, but he does not go out either because he has pain in his leg and it is difficult for him to stand or walk for a long time. That is why he has not been able to return to recycling, dragging the material in a cart to sell it.
Since then, the economic situation for this family has worsened. At home, food became scarce.
The story reached the facilities of the La Unión Police, where patrolman Gustavo Adolfo Delgado with other uniformed officers began a whole crusade for the Gómez Grajales, who have practically lived off the charity of their neighbors and those who have known their drama. .
“They live, rather, from day to day. We help them because we believe that the good ones are more,” says patrolman Delgado, who arrived at the doors of Carolina’s house with two groceries and who has managed to get a physiotherapist to come to the house to do physical exercises for Doña Nelly, who has not been exempt from skin peeling due to his immobility.
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“I thank the police and to those who have helped us”, says Doña Nelly, unable to get up. “I don’t wish this disease on anyone,” says the lady.
I thank the Police and those who have helped us”, says Doña Nelly, unable to get up. “I do not wish this disease on anyone
In addition to that in the police and neighbors they raised the clamor for medicines and more non-perishable food, what Carolina also begs for is a hospital bed.
“The National Police, through the Community Management Group of the Valle Police Department (GUGEC) and coexistence managers from the La Unión mayor’s office, once they learned of this story, joined to manage the delivery of markets with the help of the community and to coordinate therapies. We want to contribute and improve the quality of life of the family”, expresses the commander of the Valle Police, Colonel Éver Yovanni Gómez.
“We all want to help improve the condition and quality of life of Doña Nelly Grajales, who does not have the resources to continue with therapies to have food and the medicines she requires,” insists the officer who hopes for the solidarity of more Valle del Cauca residents.
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Carolina assures that she wants to improve herself. When she left school she knew how to read, write, and do addition and subtraction. That has allowed her to defend herself against her in her life, but she knows that studying is important and for that reason, today she followed the advice of close friends to start studying fast at night, leaving her mother alone. care of her father.
And although she arrives at the school classroom scared by the state of her parents, she is encouraged and optimistic, as is the support she has received from the Police, where patrolman Delgado continues to knock on doors for Carolina, whose love her parents are motivated to continue forward. “Thank you all and the help you can give us.”
CAROLINA BOHORQUEZ
TIME CORRESPONDENT
CALI
