Story
"I pray that one day she will be able to run into my arms"
These are the heartfelt words of Laura, a young mother who lives in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Laura's daughter, Laurita, was born with blindness, microcephaly and motor impairment. Laurita and her mother were abandoned by her father. A local chairty Pasitos de Luz came to the rescue. At Pasitos Laurita receives free day care, nutritious meals and therapy. As her mother says:
Laurita is now able to move her legs, neck and arms. The biggest thing for me is that she is now smiling, which is such a gift for any parent.
In 2018 Chris Jacobs moved to Mexico to help Pasitos de Luz and children such as Laurita. Chris and his family aim to raise £5,000 to increase the number of children like Laurita who can receive life-changing therapy. By raising £5,000, we will be able to pay an entire year's wages for two trained Mexican physiotherapists.
Pasitos de Luz means 'little steps of light' in Spanish and is a daycare and rehabilitation centre that supports over 130 local families who have a child or children with disabilities. All of these families have very low incomes and are not charged a single penny to have their children cared for at Pasitos de Luz. That's why donations are SO important.
Take a tour of Pasitos de Luz here, with Chris's commentary
The therapy provided by Pasitos can improve the lives of vulnerable children in extraordinary ways. Eliseo is one of the therapists. He was born blind and gives the children in his care the love and support that he never had as a child. One child whom he cares for is Alexis, born without eyes and, when he arrived at Pasitos, unable to walk. Eliseo is helping Alexis to walk and to move safely around a world he can never see.
Eliseo's philosophy is:
What counts is each person's mind and personality, not their disability. If you cannot understand that, then you are blind even though your eyes can see.
Many more children in and around Puerto Vallarta need appropriate education and therapy. The waiting list for Pasitos is longer than the list of children currently supported. The need is HUGE. Please help us to improve their lives and make them all smile like these children whom we saw on Mexico's children's day in April 2018.
It costs surprisingly little (£19 a day) to provide a day's care for a Pasitos child, which includes all therapies, personal care, meals, transport, staff wages, special education and much more. Your donation really can start to change the life of a boy or girl and to help them smile.
