International Patient Services

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[VERONICA CIUDAD-REAL, PATIENT]

My name is Veronica Ciudad-Real, and I am 40 years old and I was born in El Salvador. I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in February 2021. For me, it was really a surprise because I did not know about this disease.

[SIKANDER AILAWADHI, M.D., HEMATOLOGIST AND ONCOLOGIST]

There are several aspects of Veronica's case and her care that are unique. They stand out and they actually bring out the benefit that Mayo Clinic, as an institution, can bring to international patients, frankly, across the globe.

In Veronica's case, she got diagnosed with multiple myeloma. She started doing some research on her own and connected with her sister, who was in the U.S., in Orlando. Mayo Clinic came very high on the list of their research online, and their local physician mentioned to them that actually there was a Mayo Clinic liaison office in El Salvador.

[JEANNETTE CIUDAD-REAL, SISTER]

I called Claudia Fernandez, and she says she was the regional rep for Mayo Clinic based in El Salvador. That she worked with the international cases.

And for me, it was a sign from God. It was a hope for my sister, Veronica, that we can bring her to the United States

[SIKANDER AILAWADHI, M.D., HEMATOLOGIST AND ONCOLOGIST]

Veronica was now in a situation to potentially travel, to get access to a stem cell transplant, which she did not have access to back at home. I'm thankful to her doctor in El Salvador, who was a great partner, and I'm so very thankful to the Mayo Clinic office in El Salvador, who acted as liaisons and literally hand-carried her care throughout the process till she reached the U.S.

[MUSIC]

[SIKANDER AILAWADHI, M.D., HEMATOLOGIST AND ONCOLOGIST]

So we had just embarked upon this different program, another unique program that’s called Advanced Care at Home. She would be able to stay outside the hospital and literally the hospital infrastructure would go to the patient's home every day and set it up for around-the-clock monitoring. We offered that option to Veronica and her sister.

[JEANNETTE CIUDAD-REAL, SISTER]

They gave us the opportunity like a family to be with her. We rented the Airbnb, that was our home.

She felt that everybody is focusing on her 24 hours a day, the call center, the nurses, the paramedics, the pharmacy. Everything is coordinated.

[MUSIC]

[VERONICA CIUDAD-REAL, PATIENT]

I feel that it is a very accurate program for people who are going through these procedures, since being with the family or being close the family, emotionally and physically, the recovery is much faster.

Amazing, and I felt super good because I was accompanied by my family, they can say the same because it helped us all, all of us.

[SIKANDER AILAWADHI, M.D., HEMATOLOGIST AND ONCOLOGIST]

With how we all came together to treat Veronica, she can expect to live her life very close to normal for at least the next several years. She can watch her daughter grow.

[JEANNETTE CIUDAD-REAL, SISTER]

Now she’s recovering. That hope that we have when we met Mayo Clinic. We know we are okay. We are happy. We are grateful. With God and with you guys.

[VERONICA CIUDAD-REAL, PATIENT]

I am extremely grateful to Mayo Clinic. It has been a very nice experience to feel at home, even without knowing the language. That has been super important for me because I have felt loved, by everyone, by all the staff.

They have a spectacular team. I mean, I don’t know, I don’t know how to say more.

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