Sol y Vida currently supports 78 children with cancerous tumors by financing chemo and radiotherapy. Children are referred to us by the national children’s hospital - most of them are less than 10 years old.
The children come from families with monthly incomes of 150-350 USD. They have no health insurance, and therefore no access to affordable medical services. The treatment of tumors can be expensive depending on the type of tumor; however, there are children that require only 20 USD a month for their chemotherapy. According to the WHO, 80% of children with cancer can be cured if access to modern medicine is granted - Sol y Vida tries to save as many lives as possible with the help of donations.
The hospital that refers children to us is the main government children’s hospital in Ecuador. This means that our children don’t just come from Quito, but from all over the country. The journey to the city can be very arduous with a sick child. Some families travel by canoe or horseback for hours before they reach the nearest bus station where a bus takes them on a 5-8 hour journey to Quito. This is often the reason why the children only see a cancer specialist when the tumor has reached an advanced stage. In most cases the children are treated as outpatients, requiring numerous trips to the city throughout their treatment.
All our members work as volunteers. Virtually all donations go directly to pay for the medical care of the children - administrative costs are very low. Sol y Vida has agreements with private suppliers that allow us to access medical services at a much reduced cost, meaning that monetary donations go further and help more children. The large majority of children's cancers can be cured IF the child has access to the right treatment - donating to Sol y Vida makes this possible for families who would otherwise have no way to help their child.
(translated by betterplace)
Read more
Via Widget