Despite the bounce in her jet black pigtails, it was evident the three-year-old girl was in serious pain. Her distraught mother had brought her to the mobile health van operated by Huguley Hospital in rural Johnson County, Texas. 

There was just one challenge—a language barrier threatening to keep the health van nurses at bay. The girl’s mother didn’t speak any English, and the staff at the health van didn’t speak any Spanish. 

With short phrases and small words, the little girl slowly described the sharp pain she was feeling in her side. Soon the staff realized that she was having an appendicitis attack and needed urgent medical attention that could only be provided at the hospital.

The little girl’s family routinely visits the mobile health van. Each time they visit, her mother’s eyes get damp as she wraps her arms around the nurses who helped diagnose her daughter—and ultimately helped to save her daughter’s life. 

Huguley’s mobile health van has been operating for roughly a decade and serves nearly 100,000 patients each year.

Lisa Russell has been bringing her family to the mobile health van for more than three years. “If it weren’t for the Huguley bus, I wouldn’t have that option,” says Russell. “It’ like coming in and seeing family members once a month—that’s what it is.”