The Mendoza sisters at their home in Teotitlán del Valle  (Oaxaca, Mexico)

Effigy Vessel from Oaxaca, Mexico dated between 200 - 600 CE on display National Archaeological Museum in Madrid, Spain

This vessel is is thought to depict a warrior ruler of the Zapotec people. She wears a elaborate attire with an ornate helmet adorned with the head of jaguar. This animal is often associated with warriors and warfare in Mexican history as well as the right to rule. While female rulers were not common there are accounts prior to colonisation as well as Spanish records of women being granted rights to ancestral lands.

Tonight, she was admitted to the intensive care unit after her condition worsened and she lost the ability to breathe. She is now staying alive with the help of medical machines.

I will never forget watching people ignore this desperate plea while I watch my wife fade before my eyes, unable to save her on my own.

Doctors told me her condition is extremely critical, and without urgent treatment she may not survive another night. So I am begging you: can you help me save her life? I plead with you as a husband and a father in Gaza, watching my wife collapse in front of me and unable to stop what is happening to her. Please donate now and help me save her life before it is too late.

I will never forgive those who choose to ignore this plea.

Please donate now on GoFundMe.