Ecuador is a very poor South American country. It is much harder to endure
osteogenesis imperfecta there than in rich western countries. There are a
lot of poor families that cannot afford to pay for medical treatments. For
these families, OI represents a big problem because they are not able to
buy the medicines their children need nor pay the surgeries that will
provide them with a better life quality.
In order to help the Ecuadorian children and their families, the FEOI
organizes and pays the pamidronate treatments for young OI patients; they
also provide physical therapy and corrective surgery if needed.
We are now waiting for his next visit in January 2004. There are several
children in the waiting list that urgently need a surgery.
Even though Dr Fassier will operate the affected at no cost, the FEOI
still needs to pay the intramedular nails, the renting of the surgery room,
the nurses and other hospitalary personal, and surgical materials. The
estimated cost of the whole procedure and the surgeries for all the
children goes up to $ 3500.
There are no public or state organizations in Ecuador to whom the FEOI can
ask for funds. Therefore the FEOI needs to ask for help and donations from
private persons and entities.
The FEOI participates in the sponsorship program that has been organized
in Spain (http://padrinos.osteogenesis.info)
to help OI-children from poorer countries, but with the help that our
sponsors can provide we can only pay for the bisphosphonate treatment and/or
the physical therapy for the patients.
For all this, and knowing that you are related to OI and understand which
needs an OI person has, we kindly ask you for your financial support.
We truly believe that even the smallest donations can help to pay for the
surgeries in January.
You can send your donation to the following account:
Account:
Estados Unidos:
Bank: Monsanto Employees Credit Unit
Address: 730 Worcester St., Springfield, MA 01151
Account number: 146172
Transit/routing number: 211885852
Name: Maria Barbero
(Maria Barbero is a member of the Ecuadorian OI
Foundation).
Thank you very much.
Text translated from Spanish by our youngest helper:
Blanca, 13.
