TOLEDO – One Toledo doctor had a vision back in 1998, and since then, has worked towards developing it into a reality.
“So we rented a house and just started a little clinic, and then as it turned out, one of the medical students who came with us had been down there twice,” said Anne Ruch, an obstetrician and gynecologist (OB/GYN) from the Toledo area, who was trying to meet the needs of a rural population in northern Guatemala.
Dr. Ruch fondly remembers one of the trips she took to Guatemala with Shannon E. Wilson, who was a medical student at the time. “That’s where the SEW came from,” Ruch said, explaining that Wilson’s initials were where the name for the organization she helped start – “SewHope” – came from.
Initially, Dr. Ruch went to Guatemala without a context, and wasn’t sure how to help the people of the Central American country. Upon returning to the U.S. she said, “I left just thinking, oh my gosh, I’m a doctor; I need to do something.”
Years of mission trips to Guatemala saw Dr. Ruch treating thousands of patients, and gradually getting closer to a full vision of care for rural Guatemalans. What she began to realize was that the short term help was not enough for people with chronic conditions.
“There’s so much cervical cancer in that country. It’s rampant among young people and it’s 100 percent preventable,” she said. Eventually, the busy doctor started flying quarterly down to Guatemala and training locals there.
“We train people down there to do the pap smears and to get everything set up. So when I would go, I’d be able to do the treatments.”
Off-handedly, Randy Ruch, Dr. Ruch’s husband, asked if there was anything he could do to help the doctor’s mission.
“And I’m like, ‘Yeah, find us some land.’ And I came back at the end of the day, and he goes, ‘I found it. I bought four acres,’” she recalled of the interaction.
From there, Dr. Ruch raised money to build a permanent clinic, and would go on to build more needed infrastructure for the area.
Unfortunately, Wilson died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism, and Dr. Ruch honored her by naming the nonprofit after Wilson.
SewHope officially was founded in 2007 and has been a growing international partnership.
“Our board of trustees is made up of leaders from northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, and we also have a board based in Guatemala,” said Cecilia Chaudhary, the development director for SewHope.
“We have a strong working relationship with the Guatemalan Ministries of Health and Education,” she said, because the clinic developed a school on its campus.
The school came to fruition when Dr. Ruch realized mothers were often bringing children with them to the clinic, and then began fostering a tutoring program, eventually growing into a full school.
“Today, SewHope operates an accredited elementary school serving 160 students, a licensed medical clinic (and laboratory) that will provide cervical cancer screenings and care to more than 8,000 women this year, and community development programs that improve[d] health and economic stability through clean-burning Chispa stoves, water filters, poultry projects, home gardens, and women’s savings groups,” Chaudhary said. “All programs are implemented by our SewHope Guatemala staff of 18.”
A retired elementary school teacher for Washington Local Schools, Roxanne Ward, works as the director of education for SewHope. “The first time that I went there [in 2022], we stood there in front of the property, and I started crying,” Ward said, as she was overwhelmed by the impact SewHope had in Guatemala.
“This October marks one of the most meaningful milestones in SewHope’s history as our school celebrates the graduation of our very first sixth-grade class!” Chaudhary said. “These students have been with SewHope since kindergarten, making them the first group to complete their entire elementary education with us.”
The elementary school just completed their sixth grade classroom last year, according to Ward, who monitors the progress of the students through their online sources.
Each class has a teacher, but Ward raises funds for each of the 160 students.
“One of the ways our local community supports this work is through our annual summer social, which this year is Boogie for Good!” Chaudhary said.
“The disco-themed evening features music, food, auctions, and dancing, with every dollar raised helping sustain SewHope’s education, healthcare, and community development programs!”
“It’s a fun night that is made possible through the support of Taylor Automotive Family and our generous community!” she said in an email.
The event takes place from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 14 at the Taylor Hyundai Showroom in Perrysburg. Tickets are $25, and can be purchased here.
