Love Heals in Brazil

Luiz Eduardo Whately

Through the NGO “Parte da Solução” (Part of the Solution), volunteers from The Family International have joined forces with Activated Ministries to distribute books, CDs, and motivational calendars in the Hospital de Base, in Brasilia. The Hospital de Base is the largest hospital in the Brazilian capital, and receives people from over 22 nearby cities, making up a total population of approximately 3,717,000 residents. The Hospital has 833 beds and a staff of approximately 3,500 employees, who receive over 600,000 cases in the emergency room and ambulance services every year. From these, about 12,000 surgeries are performed. It is a point of reference in oncology, transplants, treatment of epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.

The Project

The people hospitalized in a clinical environment become very fragile, both as a result of their illnesses as well as being in an environment far from their loved ones and friends. The project “O Amor Cura!” (Love Heals!) has as its goal, through direct contact with this audience, to create something positive within a negative situation, using cheerful entertainment such as music, educational readings and videos.

We are very thankful for the material donated by Activated Ministries, which greatly helps the project; we had the manpower, but we were lacking the books, CDs, DVDs and other inspirational materials.

Donating this material facilitates closer contact with the patients and their relatives, especially with the children. The materials are good conversation starters, which helps us learn more about each one’s particular situation, needs and desires. In this way we can counsel and pray specifically for them.

Our visits have been weekly ones, which allows us to get develop friendships with those patients that are undergoing prolonged treatment. Such is the case of the boy L., who showed his delight in coloring pictures, and two weeks later we brought him a collection of six coloring booklets. We received as our reward a smile that reached from cheek to cheek, which will remain ingrained in our memories.

Some of the material has also been used by the employees, nurses and doctors. We donated our table calendars to be put in public areas. They contain a message of encouragement for every day, thus providing a more positive and happy work environment.

We are so thankful for the partnership of Activated Ministries, which has helped us tremendously in our aim of reaching the greatest possible amount of people at the Hospital de Base. We also hope to improve our relations with the employees, nurses and doctors with each passing week, so that together we can improve the care and attention given to the patients.