Mercedes lives with her husband and five children in rural western Guatemala. Five years ago, Mercedes noticed serious problems with her 4-month-old Esdras’ eyes and took him immediately to the Compassion center. Compassion staff members accompanied Mercedes on a five-hour bus ride to a child cancer institution, where they received test results diagnosing Esdras with retinoblastoma. This devastating news rocked the family, and Compassion surrounded them with constant financial and emotional support.
Donors like you helped us pay for all testing, lab analysis and medicine, including 27 rounds of chemotherapy over the course of three years. Mercedes never had to worry about a bill, only the health of her child. Esdras later developed a tumor in his eye at age 4 and had to have emergency surgery to remove his right eye, saving the vision in his left. Your support helped pay for this surgery and the prosthetic eye Esdras now uses.
Compassion staff were there for Esdras’ family through every twist and turn. Now 5, Esdras is very excited for the future and dreams of becoming a firefighter and supporting his mother. The center staff describe Esdras as a cheerful, energetic and kind child whose fighting spirit has turned to a passion for helping others.