Two Success Stories From Guatemala

Americans are saturated by the mood of ill-will that has permeated our national media. Celebrating two success stories from Guatemala will offer you a reprieve from caustic oriented news events. These are uplifting tidbits of hope and inspiration among the debris of bad news floating around our fragile universe. Finding Freedom board members would like to offer you this post as an indication that humanitarianism is alive and thriving.

Remember Francisco? (https://www.freedomthroughfriendship.org/francisco/) As a little boy with a big tumor; one of the largest I had ever seen as a former pediatric oncology nurse, Francisco lived a miserable existence. The location of the tumor rendered him immobile and the increased caloric needs of his tumor had robbed this seven-year old of much-needed calories. Funding to help this child access medical care and surgical intervention in Guatemala was not in our 2016 Finding Freedom budget. Francisco needed to make for three expensive trips to Guatemala City to access surgical intervention. A compassionate donor made sure the money was available. It is not an understatement to say that this child’s life is profoundly improved thanks to kindness and generosity of a couple who have never met this Mayan child.

Luis  and his mother share the statistically stunning misfortune of being blind in a country where handicapped services are virtually non-existent. Youngest son Juan is also a student while caring for his mother and brother.

Juan (right) works diligently to earn a meager income to support his family, while also helping his mother and brother negotiate the steep hills in his village when they need to leave the house. The pressure on this fifteen year old is enormous. He is the caretaker, homemaker and surrogate head of the household. The odds of educational success for both boys were not favorable, but they prevailed and with educational and nutritional support from Finding Freedom, both boys successfully ended another school year. Our donors ensured that these brothers will continue their educational dreams in 2017: Luis as a music major and Juan who has aspirations of becoming a lawyer.

These three Guatemalan boys represent the bravery, determination and good cheer that often seems lost in this era of misplaced character. We are pleased to be part of their celebration of health and scholastic success.