Connecting with “Bajo El Resguardo De Sus Alas” in Mandeadaro, Mexico

By Emily Da Cruz
06:00 PM Wed July 6, 2022

As we transition back into a new form of “normalcy,” in which international travel becomes safer and more prevalent, LIG Global is ecstatic to further expand its networks across the globe.

Connecting with “Bajo El Resguardo De Sus Alas” in Mandeadaro, Mexico

As we transition back into a new form of “normalcy,” in which international travel becomes safer and more prevalent, LIG Global is ecstatic to further expand its networks across the globe. In early June, Dr. Claudine Sylvester and Dr. Angela Hopf, two members of LIG’s Board of Directors, traveled to Mandeadero, Mexico for a survey trip to connect with a service organization located in the region providing medical care and compassion to local children.

Bajo El Resguardo De Sus Alas (Under The Shelter Of His Wings) is a non-profit Christian faith-based missionary group based out of Mandeadero, Mexico that, in conjunction with CTEN (Commission to Every Nation), a US-based nonprofit organization, works to provide high quality care and rehabilitation to underserved children who are medically fragile or handicapped. Their collaborations with other local initiatives have helped connect the organization to individuals in need of its services, provide housing to those in need, and aid in the transportation of children to nearby hospitals in southern California and Mexico. Based on a ranch including sites for physical therapy, classrooms, as well as 4 horse stables and a rodeo enclosure for therapy, the organization utilizes its space for a variety of services, namely equine therapy. One interesting offering of the organization is its individualized equine physical therapy, which is often used for children with diagnoses of spina bifida, cerebral palsy, and Down’s Syndrome. The dedication and empathy exhibited by those working with this organization has made a lasting impact on the children they serve and will continue to do so for many years to come, as Sue, one of the leaders of Bajo el resguardo de sus alas, has plans for expansion of the ranch to make it more accessible and providing more benefits and supports to the children it works with.

Eager to support the Mandeadero-based organization in its efforts of improving the quality of care offered to children in great need, LIG Global utilized its survey trip to connect with our partner on the ground, Sue Fasino on a more personal level and assess exactly how we can contribute to these efforts, utilizing our team and resources to do so. Future plans for said collaboration have been divided into two discrete categories: short term (6-12 months) and long term (1+ years). The 5 short term goals include (1) delivering supplies to the ranch site, including prenatal vitamins to serve as a preventative measure and pressure wound dressings, (2) establishing a behaviorist program to train local volunteers in both English and Spanish, (3) expanding the network on US-Mexico connections such as working with speech pathologists and occupational therapists, (4) improving technological access, such as implementing a dictation option for electronic medical records, and (5) improving the infrastructure of some of the buildings on-site by adding insulation and drywall where needed.

While these short term goals certainly require diligent effort from the LIG Global team, they will allow for notable improvements and expansion of the impact of the organization, allowing more children with special needs in the Mandeadero region to receive the care they deserve. Our long-term goals also focus on expanding the abilities and reach of the organization by focusing on mobility of the organization (via a mobile unit), collaboration with other organizations to further improve women’s care and prenatal care, and further educating and empowering the local community to become involved with the organization by taking roles in speech pathology, ultrasound tech, and more after receiving proper training for said roles. Perhaps most exciting to the LIG Global team is the goal of establishing an on-site LIG clinic to improve accessibility to medical providers as well as have additional storage for vital healthcare supplies that may be needed on-site.

This trip to Mandeadero, Mexico serves as a catalyst for an exciting partnership for LIG Global in its efforts to provide equitable access to healthcare across the globe. Over the coming months and years, LIG Global will certainly have its work cut out, but the significant impact it can have in collaboration with Bajo El Resguardo De Sus Alas will certainly be worthwhile.