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HEALTHCARE
COVERAGE

We held a monthly event every Saturday for three months during of Lytle community members.
Fall 2020, Summer 2021 and Fall 2021. We distributed supplies at St. Since the start the Bridging the Diaper Gap program has helped over
Andrew’s Catholic Church, where we stationed ourselves next to the 104 people. Our impact was not only noted through the rewarding in-
church rummage sale to make our station and diaper supplies visible teractions with Lytle community members, but it was also reflected in
to people who were walking by. At these events, the team volunteers our survey analysis. Pre-surveys determined that 80% of our clients’ ba-
put together baby kits that included diapers, diaper creams, baby wipes bies experienced diaper rash at least once in the last year. After regis-
and extra goods donated by A Brighter Day. Before distributing sup- tering for our project, families reported their babies not experiencing
plies, a research team member asked the parents of the children to fill a single episode of diaper rash. Post-survey responses showed that every
out a pre-survey to obtain baseline knowledge on diaper dermatitis. participant found the Bridging the Diaper Gap program educational
After, the research team members designed and handed out pamphlets and helpful. Families saved about $23.03 monthly, totaling $69.09 over
to provide information and general knowledge about diaper dermatitis: the three months of each cycle. Saving money on diapers, wipes and di-
1) how to properly change a diaper; 2) when to seek medical care for a aper cream allowed families to spend money on other necessities and
child's diaper rash; 3) what diapers doctors recommend; 4) what are basic living expenses. Our goal is to work with A Brighter Day and Lytle
the best options. City Council in an effort to expand to Natalia, Texas, and other areas
On the third distribution day, the research team conducted post-sur- near San Antonio.
veys to assess knowledge gained by participants in our study research.
Providing information to families was a very eye-opening experience References:
for our team. We were able to build and establish a relationship with 1. The uninsured in Texas. Texmed. (n.d.). Retrieved July 19, 2022,
the participants during our research and volunteer work. One of the from https://www.texmed.org/uninsured_in_texas/
most memorable families we helped, was a woman with two children 2. Knop-Narbutis, A. (2021, September 14). New Census Data Show
who saw us from the church rummage sale, she was looking for a stroller Federal Investments kept millions out of poverty, but Texas needs
for her two young toddlers. We had a conversation with her and we re- bold action. Every Texan. Retrieved July 19, 2022, from
alized that she has multiple jobs and financial struggles every month https://everytexan.org/2021/09/14/new-census-data-show-fed-
to make ends meet. She mentioned that our project provided her with eral-investments-kept-millions-out-of-poverty-but-texas-needs-
all the information and benefits of using the supra-absorbent diapers bold-action/#:~:text=Looking%20at%20multi%2Dyear%20avera
that we provided during our event. She expressed her children have ges,for%20the%20same%20time%20period.
been using cloth diapers and they have been experiencing skin irritation 3. Lytle Texas Healthcare Data. Towncharts Healthcare data. (n.d.).
lately. She received our diapers and supplies, and she was interested in Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://www.towncharts.com/
continuing to be a part of our program. Texas/Healthcare/Lytle-city-TX-Healthcare-data.html
Another memorable memory from our time in Lytle, Texas was our
interaction with an older mother. She stated that she and her husband Maryann England and Ashley Chakales are medical
were not financially stable to have another child in their family, but our students at the UT Health San Antonio Long School
project Bridging the Diaper Gap relieved a financial burden from her of Medicine and leaders of Bridging the Diaper Gap.
family. It was rewarding to see our effort make a difference in the lives

Visit us at www.bcms.org 15