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Mission of Mercy offers free healthcare

Bridging the healthcare gap
Guadalupe and Daniel Morales.jpg
Mission of Mercy Logo .jpg
Posted at 10:12 AM, Jun 29, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-29 13:03:37-04

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Many uninsured people in the Coastal Bend can't afford to go to the doctor, which means they are not getting the healthcare and medications they need.

Even worse, they are not getting preventative health screenings, which can catch a chronic or life-threatening illness.

Mission of Mercy is celebrating its 15th anniversary of serving area patients.

Guadalupe Morales and her son, Daniel Morales, have turned to Mission of Mercy, which has been bridging the healthcare gap in Nueces County.

Daniel Morales turned to Mission of Mercy after his mother received the medical care she needed.

"Mission of Mercy is very important," he said. "Honestly, it helps people in the community that don't have insurance."

Neither Daniel nor his mother has health insurance, so getting medical care has been a struggle. It's especially hard for Daniel, who is asthmatic.

Mission of Mercy Executive Director Sherry Bowers said the group does more than just provide free medical, vision, and dental.

"We also provide mental health services and offer a variety of classes for our patients to take," she said.

Guadalupe, who suffers from diabetes, has been a Mission of Mercy patient since 2017 and is grateful for the ability to see a physician.

"They help me so much health-wise: to maintain my sugar, my high-blood pressure, and other health issues I have," she said. "I don't know what I would do because I don't have insurance."

And she's not alone: Twenty percent of Nueces County residents under 65 don't have health insurance.

Bowers said the group always is in need of donations and physicians to continue helping people in the area.

"Currently we have 2,700 patients and we provide over 10,000 patient visits each year," Bowers said.

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