Marlon, in the red hat, helped us plan the building site of our clinic in 2019.
Never did I think it would be someone like Marlon Garcia. Marlon was a health care worker in Ixcán, Guatemala. What always stood out to me in Marlon was that he was tall and muscular. He would let me interrupt his day to give his assistance and advice. He was a good friend of Enfoque Ixcán, our eye care project.
Marlon knew the value access to eye care has for the people of Ixcán. Marlon helped us set up training workshops with the Ixcán nurses and he advocated for us as we planned the construction of our new clinic.
Marlon’s death has helped me realize that COVID-19 can strike anyone, young or old, and it can strike suddenly. COVID-19 is a serious public health threat to all the people of the world. We need to take it seriously and use all the precautions to prevent its spread.
Marlon was a hardworking, strong man who cared about the health of his community. He was 40-ish and left behind a young family and many friends. The Public Health office where he worked (Area de Salud) prepared this video as a tribute to him.
So long, Marlon. Rest in peace.
Scott Pike
Enfoque Ixcá