Wuqu’ Kawoq

Guatemala

TecniScan

Patients at TecniScan

Rosa is a ten-year-old girl who lives with her family in Guatemala’s rural highlands. She is the youngest of her three siblings, and she loves to play with her nine-month-old niece. Rosa’s father works as a day laborer, and her mother weaves and sells traditional Mayan textiles. Recently, Rosa has been learning how to shape and make tortillas, and in the future she wants to learn how to weave just like her mother does. Rosa has been getting seizures for the past five years of her life. She cannot play as much as other children her age, and she no longer can go to school. In the past, Rosa has received natural and herbal medicines from healers in her community. Now Rosa’s parents are searching for other means of treating her seizures. Her seizures cause her headaches and other harmful symptoms. Rosa and her parents came to our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, and learned that she needs to receive a full diagnostic work-up, including labs, an MRI, and consult with physicians to determine the cause of her seizures. Then, the medical team will be able to develop a personalized treatment plan to reduce the frequency and length of her seizures. Her treatment will begin on May 30. This will hopefully allow Rosa to go back to school, and it will bring Rosa and her parents happiness and peace of mind knowing that her condition is manageable and controlled. Rosa’s family wishes for nothing more than for Rosa to feel well, but they do not have the economic resources to purchase medications that would control Rosa’s symptoms. Therefore, they are asking for help to fund the $1,044 to get Rosa her treatment. Rosa says, “I hope that I can receive medication so that I can have a better life.”

$1,044raised
Fully funded

Billy is a seven-year-old boy with Down Syndrome. Billy lives with his family near Lake Atitlán in rural Guatemala. He has always been a caring boy and is adored by his whole family. Billy’s father works every day in the countryside as a day laborer, and his mother is committed to taking care of her children and the family’s household needs. This year has been the first that Billy has had the opportunity to attend school. At the beginning, it was difficult for Billy to adjust to the classroom and his peers, but now Billy gets along well with his classmates and particularly loves the songs they sing in class. Approximately one month ago, Billy began to get epileptic seizures. This has brought a great deal of stress to Billy’s family, who worry about their son’s safety. Billy’s mother is very nervous about Billy’s condition because he has had seizures while in school. Billy’s family wants their son to have as normal of a life as possible, but they do not have the economic resources to provide Billy with the treatment needed to control his seizures. With the aid of Watsi funding, Billy will receive a full diagnostic work-up, including labs, an MRI, and consult with our medical partner's physicians to determine the cause of his seizures. Then, the medical team will be able to develop a personalized treatment plan to reduce the frequency and length of his seizures. This will allow Billy to be able to attend school normally. His treatment is scheduled for May 1. Billy's treatment will cost $1,044. Through the help of Watsi donors, we will be able to fund his treatment. Billy’s mother says, "I want Billy to have a normal life and for him to be included and not discriminated against in the community. I know it is difficult but I will achieve it.”

$1,044raised
Fully funded

Meet Carlos, a 10-year-old boy who lives with his parents and two younger sisters in rural Guatemala. He is a curious and kind young boy who loves school, especially learning about numbers, and playing soccer with his neighbors. His mother is expecting another baby in the coming months, and to help his mother, Carlos often does a few chores: sweeping and washing dishes when he comes home from school. He hopes to keep studying and to become a policeman when he grows up. Unfortunately, Carlos has been getting seizures for about five months, and his family does not know why. His condition constantly interrupts his life and worries his family. He’s still attending school, and his family does not want seizures to impede his ability to pursue the future he wants. In order to discover the cause of his seizure and provide the best treatment possible, Carlos’s medical team needs more diagnostic information. Meanwhile, his growing family wants him to get better, but they do not have the economic resources to pay for the expensive testing that he desperately needs. On January 23, Carlos will be receiving a full diagnostic work-up, including labs, an MRI, and consultation with our physicians to determine the cause of his seizures. Then, our medical team will be able to develop a personalized treatment plan to reduce the frequency and length of his seizures. This will allow Carlos to be able to attend school normally. Most importantly, it will give his parents peace of mind, knowing that he will no longer have seizures when he is in math class or on the soccer field. His parents need help to raise $1,044 to pay for this testing. Carlos's mother, Ingrid, says, "I would like to see my son grow as a happy kid, and I have a lot of hope that he will be cured, so he can play and run like all the other kids." Our support will give Carlos the healthy and happy childhood he deserves.

$1,044raised
Fully funded

Ten-year-old Sara is in fifth grade, where her favorite subject is math. "I dream that I will be a math teacher one day,” she shares. In her free time, Sara likes to play soccer with her brothers. Her family lives in Guatemala in a small adobe house. Sara has epilepsy. She started getting seizures when she was just five years old, and they have gotten progressively worse since then. Her seizures last up to four hours, making it difficult for her to study, play, and be a normal little girl. Her family is worried about her, so she can never be left alone, making it difficult for her mother to work and run errands. In order to clarify her condition and identify the cause of her seizures, Sara needs to undergo a series of diagnostic tests, including an MRI. She also needs anti-epileptic medications to reduce her seizures. But her family cannot afford these much-needed measures, as they currently struggle just to make ends meet. Her father is a day laborer in coffee plantations, and does odd-jobs when coffee is not in season, while her mother manages the household and takes care of Sara. But for $967, we can fund the medications and diagnostic tests that Sara so urgently needs. Her seizures will improve, allowing her to go to school every day without the fear of having a seizure, and she will be able to become more independent. "We hope that one day Sara will be able to live a normal life without the seizures she has been suffering from,” Sara’s parents told us.

$967raised
Fully funded