María Clara, my 3 year old little cousin, fell ill on February 1, 2023. She was hospitalized due to paleness and weakness and later was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). She is currently undergoing chemotherapy, a treatment that takes 130 weeks. The treatment is in Valle del Lili Foundation, Cali, Colombia. One of the best hospitals in Latin America. Her parents paused their medical career pursuits and relocated to Cali, Colombia for Maria Clara’s treatment including renting an apartment by the hospital. They’ve been staying afloat financially but the bills, treatment and living expenses are piling up. Family and friends have been pitching in but there’s a long road ahead. Thank you for helping, anything is appreciated! 

The following is Maria Clara’s story written by her mom, Mafe, my cousin.

Our beautiful little family is made up of Sergio, my husband, our daughter, María Clara and me, Mafe. We lived in Pereira, Colombia, where we worked as general practitioners. Maria Clara was born on October 2019 when i was completing my medical residency. María Clara, before her illness, attended school, and was a normal little girl. We were preparing to move to Argentina, the one way trip scheduled for February 27, 2023, where we planned to specialize in our chosen fields of medicine. Sergio in general surgery, and I was going to specialize in dermatology. Life was busy but we were happy and had so many exciting plans and dreams, until the worst day of our lives, a parent’s nightmare, when Maria Clara got sick. I had to resign to be able to care for my daughter, and we had to move after María Clara's diagnosis, for her treatment, to the city of Cali. We are settling into life in a new city and focusing on our little girl; trying to give her all the strength and support we can. In the meantime our dreams and plans are on pause. The most important thing is Maria Clara’s health and these next few months.