Meet Rona, our lead Nurse which Care4MORE supports monthly

In 2009, I was working with KIDS International Ministries in Cainta, Rizal, helping with community outreach and feeding programs. During those outreaches, I kept meeting pregnant women—women who had never seen a doctor, had no prenatal care, and had no choice but to give birth at home. Some shared heartbreaking stories of losing babies because they couldn’t afford hospital care. Others were afraid of the hospitals, saying they didn’t feel safe or respected there. I felt a burden in my heart to help them, so I started assisting with home births. But really adequate care for these new mothers needed to start much earlier than the birth of their child. 

In November 2011, we held our first "clinic" at the Youth Ministry Center. I spread the word in our impoverished community, and on that first day, 15 pregnant mothers showed up! We had almost nothing—just a scale, a blood pressure cuff, and a doppler to listen to baby heartbeats. But it was enough. We checked their health, started keeping records, and invited them to come back to us each week.

There were many home births. I remember so many nights when I would go into small, dark homes to deliver babies. These were not ideal conditions—tiny spaces, no running water, sometimes even unsanitary environments—but God protected these mothers and precious babies every single time.

Hope Alive has since grown into a wonderful Birthing Home, and I’m grateful for the team of midwives, nurses, and support staff who work alongside me! Our service continues to be much more than simply medical care. It’s about walking with these women through their struggles, celebrating their joys, and showing them the love of Christ.

It has always been my dream to have a hospital where all may receive excellent care without the need to be transferred from one hospital to another—a situation that often delays treatment and tragically costs lives. In many government hospitals, patients face strict protocols and, sadly, unkind treatment. These experiences have been heartbreaking to witness, especially for vulnerable mothers and children. This is why I eagerly await the opening of Hope Alive Hospital. I know it will be different because it is being built by a team that loves Jesus and is committed to caring for patients with compassion and love. I am honored to be part of this vision and can’t wait to see it come to fruition!