Focus: Child Health Care and Education

Location: Chaclacayo, Peru

the local hero

approximately 30 miles from lima, the capital of peru, in the foothills of the andes mountains dr. anthony lazzara, a parishioner of christ the king parish in tampa, florida directs a home for destitute and ill children.  dr. lazzara is a pediatrician who left an academic position at emory university in 1983 to begin an apostolate among the poor children of the developing world. The home is called hogar san francisco de asis (st. francis of assisi home) and receives sick children whose parents cannot afford to buy them required medicines or treatments to restore them to health. the children live in the home and receive all necessary medications, food, and other needs without charge. once they are well, the children return to their families. the most frequent illnesses treated are chronic diarrhea, malnutrition, tuberculosis and chronic respiratory diseases. there is a full complement of nursing staff to care for the children 24 hours a day as well as cooks, laundresses, and other ancillary personnel.

(from the hogar’s website)

their neighbor

the home’s children lead sheltered and thus relatively, carefree lives. It is amazing with which facility the little community adapts to anyone’s needs. If you have no arms, you are given a helmet so it hurts less when you fall during a rough game of football; if you are blind you sing and dance more than run, and friends guide you. the mobile help the stationary; the older share dormitories and dining tables with the young, to assist as well as oversee them – there are no ‘disabilities’ because by that standard the whole organization would be literally disabled from functioning. rather than declaring someone ‘unable’, the focus is set on whatever ability each individual can contribute to help overcome the many impediments.

your philanthropic opportunity

thanks to dr. lazzara many children and adolescents are saved from an early death and in cases restored to full health.  several others are strengthened and can continue life despite their impediments.  however, quite many will always depend on special assistance and will be barred from physical work which most peruvian jobs require.  for example david has been tied to a wheelchair since his spine was crushed in a work accident; he knows that upon return to his mountain village he will depend completely on his single father.  his only hope is to acquire some form of technical training which will qualify him for a desk job in lima.  realistically however, his chances of entering a school are close to zero without some form of sponsorship. 

like david many patients in dr. lazzara’s home would require further training so that they can enter society with prospects for an independent and good life.  as all others, the young people in the home have high hopes for their future and despite their illnesses their spirits are unbroken.

you can help the children fulfill their dreams by supporting an initiative to build a center of education for handicapped children.  learn about this project here.

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