ROSELY'S ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

Rosely is 11 years old and lives with her parents, Ronald and Rubí, and her two sisters. Rosely, the middle daughter, is in grade four and loves math. Despite, or perhaps because of her experiences with medicine so far in her young life, Rosely is enthusiastic about becoming a doctor one day.

When Rosely was in grade two, a site worker from our Luis Amigo sponsor site came to visit Rosely, Ronald and Rubí in their home. Ronald earns his income as a fisherman and sells firewood - neither of which provides him a reliable income. Rubí used to sell cold drinks to local beachgoers, but the pandemic ended that income opportunity. Rosely's parents were no longer able to meet their family's needs, and food insecurity crept in. Thankfully, a Chalice sponsor stepped in and has been supporting Rosely's education and nutrition needs. "Not only the sponsored [child] benefited," describes the Luis Amigo site staff, "but also the family, especially with food."

In May 2021, Rosely stopped eating because she felt nauseous and feverish. She also had headaches and diarrhea. Her family doctor referred her to the pediatric oncologist. After extensive testing, young Rosely has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, which attacks the white blood cells and can spread quickly.

Rosely needed the best care, urgently, and the public hospital was overrun. So, her family and the Luis Amigo site staff chose to admit her to a private hospital, where she could receive critical procedures and medications, including transfusions and antibiotics. While this decision was best for her health, it also incurred medical costs that are beyond Ronald and Rubí's minimal income. Thankfully, generous Chalice donors stepped forward and covered all of Rosely's costs.

During her first treatment, Rosely needed a blood transfusion because her platelets were very low, and her hemoglobin had dropped. Eleven volunteer blood donors came forward to help her!

Rosely spent four months in the pediatric oncology hospital. When her doctors discharged her, her health had improved, and she is currently at home following her doctors' instructions. She travels to the capital city for chemotherapy once a week.

"She is stable, happy, encouraged with the hope that in the future she will resume her studies," writes the site staff.

On behalf of the family, they extend their deep gratitude to all those who have supported Rosely's road to recovery.