One of my best friends, Emilia was recently diagnosed with Leukemia. She is 13 years old and one of the most joyous people I have ever met. Emilia is from my dad's tribe in Costa Rica. She lives in the small Indigenous village of Boruca, Costa Rica, which is 6-7 hours from the capital where she is getting treatment. Her mother, Celia, has limited resources as she is a single mother with few employment opportunities in the village. Her mother is a traditional artisan which provides the family with a living income, but doesn't provide the money necessary to cover the additional costs to cover the expenses of supporting her daughter. Since April 20th, my dear friend has been at San Juan de Dios Hospital where she has been receiving chemotherapy with her mother by her side. Her mom has not worked or been home since Emilia was admitted to the hospital. During this time, her mom has had to pay for a hotel so that she may be near the hospital. Sadly, their journey has just begun. We hope that soon Emilia will be released, but the family will have to make the long journey back to the hospital for continued care. Transportation costs, food, and hotels are expensive. As her friend, it is so hard to see her go through something so physically and emotionally tasking, when I am used to seeing her always smiling. While I can't totally alleviate my friend's pain, I know providing financial aid will lessen the burden. While our goal is $5,000 please consider donating any amount. Everything helps.

To give context, I am 14 years old and while I live in the United States, I regularly visit my dad's village. I have very important relationships with people there. Emilia is one of my best friends, who I talk to every day via WhatsApp. It breaks my heart to see her unable to play soccer, go to school, and be her usual joyous self.