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Survivor Stories
Rene Aguilar - El Salvador
Don Rene Aguilar lives in El Salvador. In 1986, he served in the military. One day, during a patrol, he stepped on a landmine. The explosion took his right leg.
When he got to the hospital, the doctors there had to meet to figure out what to do for him. They had not seen an injury like this before. They finally decided to amputate the whole leg. There were no social workers or other amputees for Don Rene to talk to, and he became very depressed. “The only way to say it is, I felt hopeless. What would happen to me?”
He found work as a messenger in San Salvador. One day, he had to deliver a letter to the Landmine Survivors Network office there. He went in and met Armando Hernandez, an outreach worker. “I sat down and we talked about my injury and recovery. It was the first time I had really talked about it with someone who could really understand.” Don Rene told Armando that he really wanted to start a family business. “I could run it out of my home, except I have no home.” So, LSN and Don Rene put together a business plan. LSN helped him get the materials to build a home. He and his wife both attended an LSN-sponsored training on small business management.
Now, he is running his store. He is a popular part of the neighborhood. “My whole family has benefited from LSN. It brings tears to my eyes to see how far I have come with the help of LSN.”
View the next profile: Juan Antonio Carbajal
Less than 10 percent of landmine survivors have access to proper medical care and rehabilitation. Please visit our Donate Now section and see what you can do to help landmine survivors around the world.
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