My name is Dr. Ingrid, and this is my story
My name is Ingrid. I am 26 years old, from Bluefields on the southern Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, and I am the single mother of a young son.
My son and I have faced many difficulties, but with faith in God and the support I received from Adelante Mujer, I was able to achieve one of my greatest dreams: completing my degree in Intercultural Medicine at URACCAN.
Becoming a doctor has changed my life, but the opportunity Adelante Mujer gave me reaches far beyond my own family. My education has allowed me to bring medical care to people living in remote communities where electricity, safe drinking water, transportation, and even basic healthcare can be difficult to access.
Most importantly, the knowledge I gained has already helped me save a life.
My first year in Miguel Bikam
I completed my first year of social service in Miguel Bikam, a Miskito community in the municipality of Waspam. Approximately 800 people live there, many of whom support their families through agriculture.
The people of Miguel Bikam are humble, generous, and kind. They treated me very well and welcomed me into their community.
Life there was not easy. Transportation was available only once a week, and I lived in the community for an entire year without being able to see my family. As a mother, being separated from my son and loved ones was especially difficult. Still, I knew how important it was to serve people who had so little access to medical care.
I provided consultations and organized medical brigades. I also traveled to even more isolated communities to bring care to people living in places without electricity, cellular service, or safe drinking water.
I attended births in family homes. When women experienced serious complications after giving birth, we sometimes carried them in hammocks until we reached a place accessible by vehicle so they could be transported for additional care.
Those experiences showed me how urgently rural communities need trained medical professionals who understand their culture, speak with compassion, and are willing to go wherever patients need them.
Serving the people of Santa Clara
I completed my second year of social service in Santa Clara, a community in the Tasba Raya territory of Waspam. Approximately 1,000 people live there, many of whom are older adults because younger residents often leave for the city to continue their education.
The people of Santa Clara welcomed me with great generosity. They gave me food and a place to live, and they were deeply grateful for the care I provided.
I treated patients throughout the community, made house-to-house medical visits, delivered medications, and checked patients’ vital signs in their homes. For people who were older, ill, or unable to travel, bringing care directly to them made an enormous difference.
During my time there, I had an experience I will never forget.
I examined a newborn and recognized the signs of community-acquired sepsis, a serious and potentially fatal infection. Because the condition was identified in time, the baby was transferred to the hospital in Waspam.
The newborn spent 10 days in critical care, fighting for life. Thankfully, the baby recovered.
Knowing that my diagnosis helped save that child’s life was one of the most meaningful moments of my medical journey. The knowledge I received through my education allowed me to recognize the danger and act before it was too late.
Your support reached every patient I served
When Adelante Mujer supported my education, you did not help only me.
Your generosity traveled with me to Miguel Bikam, Santa Clara, and other remote communities. It was present during every medical consultation, home visit, health brigade, medication delivery, and emergency.
It was there when I cared for women giving birth at home. It was there when we carried mothers with complications across difficult terrain. It was there when I checked the vital signs of patients who could not travel to a clinic.
And it was there when I recognized the signs of sepsis and helped give a newborn the opportunity to survive.
My education has also changed what is possible for my son. He is growing up knowing that hardship does not have to determine our future. I hope my journey will teach him to persevere, to have faith, and to use his own gifts in service to others.
My dream became possible
I thank God for giving me the strength to continue through every challenge. I also offer my most sincere gratitude to Adelante Mujer and to every person whose generosity supports women with limited financial resources.
Because you believed in women like me, I was able to achieve my dream of becoming a doctor.
There are still many women who dream of studying medicine, and there are many communities waiting for the care they could provide. Supporting a student does more than pay for an education. It prepares a woman to serve families, strengthen communities, and save lives.
I am living proof of what your generosity can make possible.
Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for helping me become a doctor. And thank you for making it possible for me to bring healing and hope to people who need it most.
We are honored to share the story of Dr. Ingrid Josmara Sánchez Mejía, an Adelante Mujer graduate who is now serving remote communities in Nicaragua. Her reflections were translated from Spanish and lightly edited for clarity while preserving her experiences and voice.
By Dr. Ingrid, as told to Adelante Mujer
