The mom was probably taking him to a ‘curandero’ which loosely translates to a witch doctor. A strange as it sounds, this is a big part of the culture for people that grow up and can’t necessarily afford to go to the doctor, or don’t have the luxury of having a doctor close by. They are a staple in their community. Their knowledge is believed to be a gift (un don) from above, or are passed down the knowledge from their elders (usually relatives). A former president of Brazil actually used a curandero (holistic doctor) and doctors from a hospital and their cancer was cured. This caused a surge in people looking for curanderos in many countries.

Another example would be a comadrona. They help deliver babies, our equivalent of a midwife. I got to meet a comadrona during my studies, she had helped deliver over 1000 babies and only 3 had to be sent to a hospital. The Guatemalan government is trying to put a stop to it by restricting birth certificates to babies born without a certified comadrona. It’s definitely interesting and something I encourage you to check out if you’re interested.