the little girl
Okay, so yesterday I wrote about the little girl who needs surgery, right? Okay, so since a bunch of people asked the background, here's what I wrote:
Maria Zoila Abarca has lived far too much for her twenty-three years. You can see it in her eyes. A woman shorter than I am, she works as a laborer in the fields outside of her town of San Marcos Lempa. She has a fifth grade education, which is a major accomplishment here, and is working to support her three children. She is a very quiet woman, and seemed initially suspicious of me until I asked about her children, the magic question for most mothers. She shyly took a picture out of her purse and handed it to me. It was of her three and a half year old twins, Kelvin and Katarine. The two clutch piñatas, and Kelvin looks like a normal happy, healthy toddler.
On the other hand, Katarine is obviously a very sick little girl. At three and a half, she weighs just 22 pounds. She swims in her clothes and is dwarfed by her brother and the piñatas. Katarine was born with a hole in her heart, and her doctor expects that she has three or four months left to live. Luckily for Katarine, there is an organization that will match her needs to a hospital in the United States and provide the necessary surgery, free of charge.
But for Maria Zoila and her little daughter, there is still a big problem. This organization is not going to be able to pay for Katarine's plane ticket. For a typical family in El Salvador, the price of a plane ticket is an unreachable goal. Maria Zoila was unable to pay a bus fare, let alone dream of raising the money necessary to save her daughter's life.
This provides another wonderful opportunity for the parishioners of Saint Aloysius to live in solidarity with our Salvadoran brothers and sisters. We have the opportunity to work a miracle, to save the life of a beautiful little girl. Of course, this is just one of the many ways we can help. If this story has touched you in any way, contact Rita Waldref for more information on how to help Katarine and others in El Salvador.
Thank you for your time,
Noreen Duffy
Tierra Blanca, El Salvador
I sent the above letter to my church in Spokane, and they are totally going to cover the ENTIRE ticket, meaning that this little girl finally has a shot at living a healthy life. There will be a photo of the little dear as soon as I get my paws on one.
EDIT// Going to San Marcos RIGHT NOW to meet the little girl and tell the family in person. Huzzah!
EDIT EDIT//Back from San Marcos and with photos! So much adrenaline in system...
Katarine
The family.
Maria Zoila Abarca has lived far too much for her twenty-three years. You can see it in her eyes. A woman shorter than I am, she works as a laborer in the fields outside of her town of San Marcos Lempa. She has a fifth grade education, which is a major accomplishment here, and is working to support her three children. She is a very quiet woman, and seemed initially suspicious of me until I asked about her children, the magic question for most mothers. She shyly took a picture out of her purse and handed it to me. It was of her three and a half year old twins, Kelvin and Katarine. The two clutch piñatas, and Kelvin looks like a normal happy, healthy toddler.
On the other hand, Katarine is obviously a very sick little girl. At three and a half, she weighs just 22 pounds. She swims in her clothes and is dwarfed by her brother and the piñatas. Katarine was born with a hole in her heart, and her doctor expects that she has three or four months left to live. Luckily for Katarine, there is an organization that will match her needs to a hospital in the United States and provide the necessary surgery, free of charge.
But for Maria Zoila and her little daughter, there is still a big problem. This organization is not going to be able to pay for Katarine's plane ticket. For a typical family in El Salvador, the price of a plane ticket is an unreachable goal. Maria Zoila was unable to pay a bus fare, let alone dream of raising the money necessary to save her daughter's life.
This provides another wonderful opportunity for the parishioners of Saint Aloysius to live in solidarity with our Salvadoran brothers and sisters. We have the opportunity to work a miracle, to save the life of a beautiful little girl. Of course, this is just one of the many ways we can help. If this story has touched you in any way, contact Rita Waldref for more information on how to help Katarine and others in El Salvador.
Thank you for your time,
Noreen Duffy
Tierra Blanca, El Salvador
I sent the above letter to my church in Spokane, and they are totally going to cover the ENTIRE ticket, meaning that this little girl finally has a shot at living a healthy life. There will be a photo of the little dear as soon as I get my paws on one.
EDIT// Going to San Marcos RIGHT NOW to meet the little girl and tell the family in person. Huzzah!
EDIT EDIT//Back from San Marcos and with photos! So much adrenaline in system...
Katarine
The family.