Project: Strengthening New Mexico Families
Organization: New Mexico Community Foundation
Sante Fe, NM
Story submitted by Louise Kahn, Project Director, New Mexico Community Foundation.

Angelica's Story (A Composite Case from the Community Health Nursing Project)

When the nurse asks whether she has ever experienced family violence during the therapeutic health history, the shy, petite young woman visibly struggles to find her voice, but with the nurse’s reassurance of confidentiality, her kind smile, and her ability to speak in her own language, Angelica opens up and tells the whole story.

“I came to the United States with a man I hardly knew, looking for a better life than the one I had in Mexico. My life became a hell here. I had my two little girls with that man, and for three years I lived with daily abuse. He threatened to take my girls if I left him, and told me that since I was illegal, I had no rights to my children. I spoke no English, didn’t know anyone, had no money. He kept track of every penny he gave me for groceries and laundry. One day I saw a sign in Spanish at the laundromat, with a phone number to call for help for domestic violence. I used some of my laundry money in the pay phone, and they came from the shelter to pick me and my daughters up. In the shelter, we were safe, but I didn’t know how we would live, where we could go. I was afraid to take my daughters back to Mexico, afraid they would accuse me of kidnapping and give them to their father.”

The nurse has heard many such stories from undocumented immigrant women in her job as nurse at the early childhood center, but she can feel and hear the strength in this young woman. The therapeutic health history was developed by staff from all of the eight sites in the LIFP Community Health Nursing Project, and is intended as a way to bring forth a “platica,” a healing conversation, as a way to develop a trusting relationship between the nurse and the client. That relationship is the cornerstone of our project, and we hold it to be the most important tool for change in our work with families.

The nurse and Angelica finish the health history and make a family health action plan. They plan for immunizations and well child care for the children and for Angelica's health care and mental health needs. Angelica confides that she’s worried about some kind of sexually transmitted infection, since her ex ran around with other women. She has never really used health care services before, except with having the babies, and then her husband did all of the talking, since she didn’t speak English.

A year later, Angelica states: “My nurse is there for me. I can talk to her like as if she was my mother, since my family is so far away and it’s hard to call them or anything. I have had some times when I was so stressed out, and just wanted to give up. I almost went back to my ex husband once when I couldn’t pay the rent. But she respects me and asks what I need. She listens and doesn’t judge me.

Now I have the courage to believe I can make it alone. The nurse gives me 'apoyo,' the support that I need to believe in myself, and the services that I need. She understands my beliefs and feelings. I feel that I have been given my life back, and that my daughters will see me as a role model for their lives, that they won’t allow themselves to be abused like I did. They will be strong and healthy.”

Over a year and a half, with the SNMF nurse’s care and the rest of the multidisciplinary team, Angelica took care of her family’s health needs, received play therapy for the kids and counseling for herself. She’s learned English and gotten her GED and is working on her A.A. The children have moved on to the child care center at the Community College.

Today, Angelica has been hired as a case manager for Spanish-speaking women at a domestic violence shelter, and is living independently with her children.

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