This is Floricelda, a 13-year-old girl from rural Guatemala. Six years ago, she developed eye allergies, similar to the pollen-related allergies many of us get. However, her condition became more and more severe due to a combination of environmental exposures and lack of access to common allergy medicines.
Now, smoke, dust, and mold have helped contribute to scarring around Floricelda’s eyes, severe constant pain, and blurry vision. Doctors say that she is in danger of losing her vision altogether.
Floricelda has been living with these symptoms for six years without ever seeing a doctor, because her family is too poor to afford treatment. In addition to being in constant pain, her allergies affect her ability to perform in school.
For $1,300, Floricelda will receive an ophthalmologic consultation and aggressive medical treatment of the inflammation. Eye medications are extremely expensive in Guatemala, and doctors expect that she will need a long course of treatment, probably six to eight months. Let’s help decrease Floricelda’s pain and save her vision!