According to a story from Trend News World, mother Orvelina Lizeth Melendez is heading north as part of the migrant caravan that has been making headlines as it makes its way to the US. Originally from Honduras, Melendez has two scraps of paper that she hopes will secure her asylum: her husband’s death certificate and a clinical summary of her son Joshua, who has juvenile onset Still’s disease.
About Juvenile Onset Still’s Disease
Juvenile onset Still’s disease, which is also known as systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, is a type of juvenile arthritis which is characterized by more widespread, systemic symptoms, such as fever and rash. The cause of Still’s disease in children is almost a complete mystery; some research suggests that hormonal, environmental, and genetic factors could all play a role. This disease can cause severe symptoms, such as a high fever, rash, joint inflammation, anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, enlarged lymph nodes, heart inflammation, and inflammation of the linings of the abdomen, lungs, and heart. Arthritis symptoms often appear later, after the rash and fever. Treatment is usually with immune system suppressants and corticosteroids. If the disease progresses to severe destructive arthritis, it can be fatal. To learn more about juvenile onset Still’s disease, click here.
Desperate Migrants With Nowhere to Turn
President Trump has repeatedly attempted to characterize the caravan as an invasion of the US, making claims suggesting that many of the migrants were hardened criminals. He also has said that terrorists from the Middle East were somehow “mixed in.”
Melendez’s help illuminate the desperate situation that the people in the migrant caravan are actually facing. Her husband was murdered in front of her, and her brother Jimy, who has difficulty with hearing and speech, has been forced to flee with the caravan as well to avoid forced recruitment into a gang.
Working to Save Her Son’s Life
Melendez has been forced to leave all but one of her children behind; Joshua, for example, would never be able to survive the trek to the US border. The hospital in Honduras where he receives monthly treatment is in disrepair and Melendez can no longer afford to pay for treatment unless she finds employment in the US.
While Melendez and many others in the caravan are well aware of how they have been depicted by the President, they are too desperate to turn back. Joshua’s life depends on Melendez finding work in the US.
