Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Dustin’s Heavenly Birthday a success
SILOAM SPRINGS — Like the rest of the world, the people served by The Heart of Love Clinic in Guatemala City, Guatemala, have felt the financial, emotional and physical toll of the covid-19 pandemic.
Dr. Layla Perez and her daughter Olivia Perez told the audience at Dustin’s 9th Heavenly Birthday Celebration what the past year has been like at the clinic. The event, which took place both online and in person at Camp Siloam on Saturday evening, served as a fundraiser for Dustin’s Dream and a way to honor the life of Dustin Chamberlain, who planned on becoming a pediatrician and who also dreamed of serving on medical mission trips.
In 2011, he was tragically killed during a home invasion while at home on Christmas break from Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
The people served by The Heart of Love Clinic live around the largest garbage dump in Central America, according to Danae Chamberlain, Dustin’s sister, who interviewed Dr. Perez and her daughter during the program. The people live in shacks and make their living by finding things in the dump they can salvage and sell, she said.
The community was impacted more financially than by the virus because the government decided to close the dump so they had no place to work or earn money for food, Dr. Perez said through her daughter, who served as a translator. People were also affected emotionally because they had to stay at home and their houses are very tiny and cold, Dr. Perez said. Children couldn’t go to school or go outside and families didn’t have any food or anything to do, she said. One 12-year-old even tried to commit suicide because of the emotional strain of the situation, although the clinic was able to get him help, she said.
The Heart of Love Clinic continues to be busy because people are afraid to be around sick people at the public hospital, Dr. Perez said. The clinic had to make a lot of changes, including having patients wait outside for their appointments, applying hand sanitizer and giving masks to patients, and having patients clean their shoes before they come in the clinic, she said.
The clinic has special hours on the weekend for people with respiratory symptoms and has been treating many covid-19 patients, not only from the communities around the dump, but from more widespread areas, Dr. Perez said.
During the pandemic, Pastor Saul Perez learned how to continue his ministry on Facebook and social media, according to Olivia Perez. Her father recorded messages and was able to conduct church services and small group meetings, she said. The church was also able to provide monthly food for more than 300 families, thanks in part to help from Dustin’s Dream, she said.
More than giving people things, the clinic wants to show God’s love, Dr. Perez said. She asked the audience to pray that clinic staff can love people more and that they never forget the commandment to share God’s love through all their actions.
Deondra Chamberlain, Dustin’s mother, said she was thankful that Dr. Perez and her daughter were able to attend the event.
“We are just glad to be able to be a small part of that and provide funds for people to get care,” she said.
Dustin’s Dream supports medical mission trips, provides medical scholarships and partners with organizations that serve the local community. It has funded the construction and expansion for the Heart of Love Clinic in Guatemala City and continues to fund half of the operating costs for the medial facility.
Despite the difficult year that everyone has experienced, Dustin’s Heavenly Birthday had one of its best years to date, Deondra said. The fundraiser brought in more than $27,000, she said. A large crowd of people attended the in-person event, following social distancing and safety guidelines, and at one point more than 150 people were logged into the online auction, conducted by CMC Auctions, she said.
Chamberlain said she is amazed by the generosity of people who participated. She also said she is grateful for the work CMC Auctions did to make the online event a success.
“I want to give a huge thank-you to the community, and family and friends who came out even though it was a crazy year,” she said. “We appreciate those who were willing to abide by the guidelines for the safety of everyone who was there.”
More information, including a new video about The Heart of Love Clinic and the work it is doing in Guatemala, is available at DustinsDream. net .