Alberto and Mercedes Reyes
Not all houses are homes; some are health hazards. Alberto and Mercedes Reyes have a roof over their heads, but it leaks. They have a floor under their feet, but it floods. Such a dilapidated tin shack is unheard of in the United States, but it’s where the Reyes family is raising two daughters, and it’s why one of those girls has chronic respiratory problems, high fevers and seizures.
Alberto and Mercedes both grew up in the town of Santa Clara. Mercedes comes from a very large family. Her parents had a painful divorce yet still live in the same neighborhood as each other and their kids. Mercedes’ mother visits her often, but this causes Mercedes heartache every time. Alberto has eight brothers, and his parents are very poor.
Alberto and Mercedes have built a house from tin, adobe and bamboo on land that is owned by Mercedes’ father, and they are raising their daughters Maria Elena (age seven) and Julissa Damaris (age two) there. Mercedes’ father has a larger tin house next door and lives with his new wife and daughter. Mercedes has asked her father to give her that small piece of land, but he doesn’t want to cause tension among the rest of his daughters.
The shack where the Reyes family lives has one door and no windows. The roof leaks during the rainy season. The house also floods because it is built on the lowest point of the property. Conditions in the house are damp and moldy. There is no air circulation, and the atmosphere is unhealthy. They have built a small kitchen outside with palm leaves, which keeps the cooking fumes and smoke out of the house, but this kitchen is unusable when it rains.
Mercedes must stay home to care for the baby, so she has no income. Alberto has worked in the sugar cane fields, as a plumber, and as a mechanic. He recently found a job far from their town and only comes home once every two weeks. He is earning very little money.
Conditions in the house are making Julissa chronically ill. She has frequent colds, respiratory problems, and very high fevers. Some time ago, she started suffering mild seizures which accompanied her fevers. Recently, these episodes are becoming more frequent and intense. The family takes her to public hospitals and clinics, but her situation is not improving. Neither parent has health care insurance, so the family is trying to collect money to pay for a private doctor as Julissa’s situation isn’t improving.
Alberto and Mercedes are a kind, loving couple, and their neighbors look up to them as an example of a good marriage. They believe that their little girl’s health will be more stable when they move to their new home and finally get a house that doesn’t flood, with a concrete floor, real roof and proper ventilation. Alberto and Mercedes are very frustrated by their so-called home: every cent they earn goes for food and medicine for their girls, and they feel trapped in a place that eating away at their finances and their health.
