SwimForLife
Donation protected
I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine with tremendous spirit and a real need for help to survive and obtain some quality of life. Carlos Guaras in an Indigenous Guatemalan boy from San Jorge Laguna, I met him earlier in 2018 when I was staying with his family.
Suffering from Spina Bifida, Carlos is 2 years overdue for a follow up operation and desperately needs our help to continue living. Without our immediate help his condition could worsen and without notice he may require to be rushed to a hospital. The town in which he lives is very mountainous and has little access for wheelchairs, this means Carlos needs to be carried in and out of his home in order to do anything or reach medical assistance.
Nearest hospitals are miles away and very expensive for his family, but a little money can go a long way in Guatemala, and so any help you can give will be appreciated immensely by Carlos and his family.
I feel I need to tell you about the incredible spirit Carlos has as he strives to overcome his disability. Carlos has won many awards and medals for swimming. Rightfully proud of his achievements Carlos would love to continue his passion and one day represent his country in the disabled Olympics. However, without financial assistance like his desperate need for medical assistance, access to training and support for his passion, let alone medical assistance is no longer available.
In the past the school system in Guatemala has facilitated a swimming program for Carlos, sadly though Carlos is no longer eligible for the program after turning 14.
As a result, Carlos is mostly bedridden, living in a mountainous town with difficult access for wheel chairs and no-one to help transport him for medical needs.
We are collecting money on behalf of Carlos to pay for his immediate medical needs including operations, medications, access equipment and transport and to hopefully collect enough to fund his re-participation in the local swimming program so that he may continue his dream despite his disability.
The target amount is for his immediate medical needs, which is a follow up operation, this money will be paid to the hospital directly, any over that amount will go towards medications. When I wrote the site I had no idea how much or little we would collect, so my wish list would be any remaining money, after his heath is taken care of, would go to quality of life stuff like access to swimming
The following is in Carlos’ words: -
‘I am a disabled person with Spina Bifida disease who cannot walk. It is a very complicated disease which involves many operations. In my case I have had surgery twice, in three different parts of my body, the Head, Stomach and Back. The first operation I had a valve shunt fitted, they did when I was six months old. The doctors informed my parents that the valve would only work for 5 years, when I was 5 years old we went to check it was if it was still ok. Luckily for me the valve was continuing to function, the doctors informed my parents that the valve still worked and thanks to God that the valve continued to work for three more years. After the second operation the doctor informed my parents that at any time the valve may stop working. Now I am left with the constant worry as it has been 7 years since the second operation and the valve could stop working at any time if this happens I am told to expect to be immediately very ill and require an emergency operation.’
Suffering from Spina Bifida, Carlos is 2 years overdue for a follow up operation and desperately needs our help to continue living. Without our immediate help his condition could worsen and without notice he may require to be rushed to a hospital. The town in which he lives is very mountainous and has little access for wheelchairs, this means Carlos needs to be carried in and out of his home in order to do anything or reach medical assistance.
Nearest hospitals are miles away and very expensive for his family, but a little money can go a long way in Guatemala, and so any help you can give will be appreciated immensely by Carlos and his family.
I feel I need to tell you about the incredible spirit Carlos has as he strives to overcome his disability. Carlos has won many awards and medals for swimming. Rightfully proud of his achievements Carlos would love to continue his passion and one day represent his country in the disabled Olympics. However, without financial assistance like his desperate need for medical assistance, access to training and support for his passion, let alone medical assistance is no longer available.
In the past the school system in Guatemala has facilitated a swimming program for Carlos, sadly though Carlos is no longer eligible for the program after turning 14.
As a result, Carlos is mostly bedridden, living in a mountainous town with difficult access for wheel chairs and no-one to help transport him for medical needs.
We are collecting money on behalf of Carlos to pay for his immediate medical needs including operations, medications, access equipment and transport and to hopefully collect enough to fund his re-participation in the local swimming program so that he may continue his dream despite his disability.
The target amount is for his immediate medical needs, which is a follow up operation, this money will be paid to the hospital directly, any over that amount will go towards medications. When I wrote the site I had no idea how much or little we would collect, so my wish list would be any remaining money, after his heath is taken care of, would go to quality of life stuff like access to swimming
The following is in Carlos’ words: -
‘I am a disabled person with Spina Bifida disease who cannot walk. It is a very complicated disease which involves many operations. In my case I have had surgery twice, in three different parts of my body, the Head, Stomach and Back. The first operation I had a valve shunt fitted, they did when I was six months old. The doctors informed my parents that the valve would only work for 5 years, when I was 5 years old we went to check it was if it was still ok. Luckily for me the valve was continuing to function, the doctors informed my parents that the valve still worked and thanks to God that the valve continued to work for three more years. After the second operation the doctor informed my parents that at any time the valve may stop working. Now I am left with the constant worry as it has been 7 years since the second operation and the valve could stop working at any time if this happens I am told to expect to be immediately very ill and require an emergency operation.’
Organiser
Paul Boyd
Organiser
Mysterton QLD
