Courageous Love: Estavan Martinez

Estavan is from Nicaragua. A living wage is difficult to come by in the poorest country of Central America, so he left his family to head north in search of work.

His travels took him through dangerous country and led him to the United States where he found farm work four years ago. Most of his money is sent home to support his wife and four children. His youngest, a son, was born three months before Estavan left home. His 17 year old daughter will graduate from high school this spring, the first on either side of the family to do so. She has hopes of furthering her education.

Estavan came to me as a patient, complaining of depression. He is lonely and misses his family, would like to introduce himself to his four year old son and see his daughter graduate. Instead he will stay here because he is undocumented and cannot risk being unable to reenter the United States. That would end his family’s hopes of a better life and his daughter’s dream of further education.

He must choose between being with his family and supporting them.

I believe he “stands on the side of love” in a manner most would not be willing or able to do. I am sorry I cannot use the real name of who a man who exemplifies real love.