One Precious Little Miracle in Guatemala
Since first arriving at the San Jose Hospice, Diana has thrived. Photo by CRS staff
Take a good look at this adorable child. Precious little Diana is just one of dozens of children and adults living at the San Jose Hospice in the town of San Lucas, just outside of Guatemala City.
We first met her during a trip three years ago when Diana's doctor shared her story with us. Dr. Fernando, who works at the hospice told us, "We found out she was thrown in the garbage. Some fireman found her and brought her here. When I came here, she was about 1 month old. She was very sick. Her development and her body were abnormal.
And then I started to work with her. I started her on the proper exercises and medicine. And then she started growing, growing, growing and laughing. She was crying all the time. Then about five months ago she started to walk. She started to laugh. She started to eat."
You can see from the two photos how Diana has grown. It's a miracle she survived, but now she is full of life and love because the San Jose Hospice was helped by Catholic Relief Services. Diana is one of the lucky ones to thrive and learn thanks to the generosity of compassionate donors who support the work of CRS in more than 100 countries.
When Diana was a month old, she was left abandoned in a trash can. She was found by some firemen who brought her to the San Jose Hospice. Photo by Rita Villanueva for CRS
Dr. Fernando told us, "Some of the things that the children start to ask me when they are about 6, 7 and 8 years old are: Why do I have to take my medicine? Why can't I live with my parents? Why did my parents die? Why don't I have any brothers and sisters?"
Diana will be asking those same questions in a few years. Our answer to the children of the world will depend on how we respond to their needs, hopes and dreams.
CRS can continue to provide help and hope, if compassionate donors respond quickly and wholeheartedly to our appeal. I urge you to become a member of our Footsteps in Faith program.
Footsteps in Faith donors support our lifesaving work through regular monthly donations to CRS. Regular, monthly donations allow CRS to remain one of the most effective and efficient humanitarian relief agencies in the world. When you join Footsteps in Faith, you will be living your faith to the fullest and making a magnificent contribution to our most vulnerable and impoverished brothers and sisters overseas. The regular flow of income from our devoted Footsteps in Faith program members is vital and cherished. Each month your gift will be a blessing to people so desperate for life's most basic necessities. May God bless you.
