Gregoria

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This is Gregoria, the lady with the twinkle in her eye.

Gregoria is 86. She's been in the program for at least five years; she was one of the first abuelitos whom Adopt-a-Grandparent founder Pamela Jay-Paralikis visited on her first trip to Villa el Salvador in 2000. Gregoria's brother, Sixto, who was 10 years older than she, died in late 2004. Both of them have/had that twinkle in the eye, and the joy of living, even with many hardships.

 

Gregoria lives in her own home and is cared for by a daughter-in-law whom she doesn't like. The feeling is mutual, but it works out for them. Gregoria is legally blind, her daughter-in-law is blind, and Gregoria has a son who is also blind. Her son is a touching success story -- he now heads an institution for the blind.

Gregoria can walk, using a walker, but her ankles swell up so much that she can't put on shoes. The Los Martincitos program got her a walker and a wheelchair to use at home. She doesn't miss many program days at Los Martincitos; whenever she doesn't attend, we are usually very concerned and try to find out if she is OK.