Nogales clinic offers free medical services to children from Mexico

Published: Dec. 4, 2015 at 3:51 AM MST|Updated: Mar. 2, 2018 at 4:18 PM MST
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NOGALES, AZ (Tucson News Now) - It was a busy Thursday for the folks at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Nogales. Every month, more 250 families of disabled children from all over Mexico cross the border to get help at their free clinic.

"Having a child with a special needs and having nowhere to go or the money to do so, you have to keep going," said St. Andrew's Children's Clinic executive director Laura Romero. "I mean you can't turn your back away from that."

It all started when Romero's mother, patient coordinator María Luz Romero, also known as "Coca" by the Nogales community, was in desperate need of help for her disabled son back in the 70's. Now, the clinic serves hundreds of families every month and continue to take on more.

"You see them get to hospital and the next day they go out with a big smiles," Coca Romero. "You changed the life of the mother, the family and the kid. They would never dream of having anything like this."

The families are given a pass by U.S. Customs and Border Protection called paroles. This allows them to cross over for the day just to visit the clinic and then they're sent home.

"It's a measure sparingly used to bring an otherwise inadmissible alien into the U.S. for a temporary period of time due to a compelling emergency or other case by case situation," said Chief CBPO public affairs liaison, border community liaison and Explorer Post Advisor for the Tucson field office Teresa Small.

The families, along with directors and coordinators at the clinic, said if it wasn't for the help of CBP, there wouldn't be a clinic.

"These are people that are tops of their field and they give their time to come and help these children," said Nogales port director Guadalupe Ramirez. "I just think that it's unbelievable."

Some families said the clinic is the only way their child is getting by. Francisca Ortiz of Obregon, Sonora has an 8-year-old son who has suffered from epileptic convulsions since he was 2. St. Andrew's clinic provides him with free physical therapy sessions,
medical treatment, and plenty more.

"You just have to look beyond the border," said Romero. "It's a child. They have a need and you can't turn away."

In case some children have more serious medical needs and require surgeries, the clinic sends them over to Shriners hospitals in Spokane and Sacramento. Surgeons like Dr. Glen Baird either help in Spokane or Sacramento or are on sight consulting patients,
and he said the entire experience is always gratifying.

"It's humbling because it's a privilege taking care of children," said Baird. "They're from a different culture than I am and they place their children in my hands to take care of."

Like many non-profit organizations, they rely on the help of volunteers and donations. According to Romero, 98% of donations given to the St. Andrew's clinic goes directly to patient care.

"I can talk about it, I can show videos, but for you to come and see it and witness for yourself? Then you'll get an idea," said Romero.

For more information on St. Andrew's Children's Clinic, CLICK HERE.

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