Since 2006 FundaciónNahuel has been devoted to organize a network of alliances to enhance and conduit aids to children and adolescents at risk. Among its allies, there are medical centers, laboratories, clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, foundations and many other suppliers of different products and services.
On its first years, the Health Care Program consisted in the execution of two projects: cardiology and ophthalmology. At present, two more projects are managed on a continuous basis: Small Emergency Aids (PAE) and Support to Children with Cancer. All these projects are carried on by the main office in Quito in coordination with its allies.
In addition to these four projects, in the ten passed years seven specific heath projects were implemented, which benefitted several population groups in Ecuador, from infants to adolescents, concerning physical and mental health problems, as can be read in the enclosed file “Health Care 2007-2016”.
Nahuel’s support is to provide children with medical services and drugs, to facilitate medical appointments, advanced medical diagnostics, specialized treatments, rehabilitation and surgeries. In certain cases and after an accurate economic evaluation, Nahuel requests parents for a certain amount of money with which the child’s family will contribute to the expenses. Sometimes Nahuel pays for the expenses of transportation and stay in Quito, to children arriving from other provinces or rural communities accompanied by one of their parents.
Nahuel’s goal is to guarantee a complete treatment to the child, until his recovery or the substantial improvement of his health. The integral development for an optimum physical, mental, emotional and social growth, encouragesNahuel to intervene in food security, nutritional and even psychological safety actions, as these are the strategic and transversal axes of the whole recovery process.
OPHTHALMOLOGY
This project aims to provide economic support to children and adolescents residing in urban and rural marginal areas, mostly sent to Nahuel by hospitals or public health centers, where specialized care in cases of complex diagnosis, treatments or surgeries, is very lacking or practically null.
Poverty prevents families to face ophthalmological emergencies or problems whose cost can’t be reached by them. Problems usually involve malformations, severe or minor trauma, visual problems of any kind, diseases that can lead to visual impairment and even blindness.
The project, managed by Nahuel Quito, has benefited 626 children on its first ten years. The average cost has been US$ 86 per aid provided. In addition to the necessary medical care in the prevention of blindness or serious deficiencies, this project finances the transportation, stay and feeding of the child and one of their parents, when they don’t reside in Quito.
CARDIOLOGY
Cardiology is a medical specialty that is not often available to patients in provincial hospitals or health centers in marginal areas. The importance of cardiology in the field of medicine is reflected by the fact that cardiovascular diseases constitute worldwide one of the main causes of mortality. The project seeks to help children and adolescents suffering heart diseases, facilitating their access to specialized health care, providing families with a timely diagnosis, surgery and special treatments for the complete cure of the patient.
On a general basis, children referred to Nahuel suffer congenital heart diseases with minimal expectation of solution because of its high medical cost, starting with diagnosis, treatments and an eventual surgical option.These are children who can’t have a normal development and are destined from birth to live with limited capacities, often taking them to a premature death.There are additional funds available to cover, if necessary, the stay, feeding and transportation of children living in rural areas. Between 2007 and 2016, Nahuel helped 1,400 children, with an average expenditure of US $ 83 per aid brought.
SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER
The project began at the end of 2012 and since then, it was designed to alleviate the side effects of chemo and/or radiotherapy applied to children with cancer. The assistance include supplies, such as implants, medicines, restorative and nutritional supplements, transportation, food and shelter for children living out of Quito.
It is known that while cancer cells grow, they consume more and more body’s nutrients. Cancer consumes the child’s energy, destroys organs and/or bones and weakens the defenses against other diseases.
However, thanks to medical progress and to adequate and complete treatment, children with cancer can leave the hospital and grow like any other child. This is the reason why Nahuel’s main objective is to improve the physical condition and the quality of life of patients that, in practice, produces an increase of the defenses. In the four years since the project began, Nahuel has provided 869 grants, with an average cost of US $ 43 each.
SMALL EMERGENCIES AID
Nahuel acts in cases of medical emergencies, when the child’s life is in imminent danger, whether due to accidents, malfunctioning of one of its organs or an irregular state of health.
This type of help is also targeted at children with disabilities or irreversible damage to their development. Among the major cases, we find children with previous illnesses aftermath that become chronic health problems, origin for premature death or cause of delay in the process of learning and intellectual development.
The project, therefore, offers all the possible aid, in a well-timed manner, to solve serious medical situations that constitute a risk to the child’s life, avoiding premature death or upcoming disabilities. These children belong to very poor families that cannot afford these unexpected events.
The project is managed by Nahuel’s office in Quito and, from 2007 to the end of 2016, has benefited 11,733 children and adolescents from different areas of the country. The average cost is US$ 58 per aid provided.