3 yr old with Cancer needs your help!!

My friend in Sosua has been trying to help out a 3 yr old girl named Andr?a who has Cancer. Her mom is not able to pay for the expensive surgery she needs to repair her tongue or able to pay for chemotherapy and other treatments.

I met Andr?a last week and she is the sweetest little girl who also loves dogs. My friend is going with Andr?a and her family to the dr on Wed to find out more details.

If you could help in anyway it would be much appreciated, any amount would really help.

Ty :).

Here is the go fund me link:

Keep Andrea Smiling by Lynn Nugent - GoFundMe
 

La Profe_1

Moderator: Daily Headline News, Travel & Tourism
Oct 15, 2003
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Harley,

I am not sure this will be of any help, but I have a medical group arriving in Puerto Plata next February. One of the surgeons is a plastic surgeon and she is traveling here especially to do reconstructive surgery on those who need it.

When will Andr?a need the surgery to repair her tongue? If the dates work, maybe we can coordinate something between this plastic surgeon and the doctors here.

If it works, the reconstructive surgery would be free.
 

ctrob

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Nov 9, 2006
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I know of Diosa Andrea Gomez and her mom, Carolina. I met them thru a friend in the DR. The Mom told me last month that a Dom Doctor had told here that there was no hope for Andrea. She cried as she told us that. She was told that Andrea's condition was beyond help, untreatable. I suspect that she may have been told that to get rid of her. Since the Mom does not have the money to pay for any surgery/chemo/meds, the Dr may have thought it best to squash any hope the mother may have had. Just my suspicion, no proof of that being factual. I'm also guessing that the public dom hospitals aren't equipped to handle this. Again, just guessing. And a friend of the Mom told me that "nobody wants to help her" - meaning the better dom hospitals.

I was able to get my hands on the xrays of Andrea and took them and a couple of photos to an Oncologist friend of mine in the States. After review, he said it appears to be rhabdomyosarcoma (I think that's the one he told me). He said it's a common form of cancer in children, very treatable, will probably require surgery and than chemo/meds (he's not a pediatric oncologist). The tumor is pushing everything in her face causing the swelling and tongue to push out. He never said anything about needing plastic surgery, although I guess it's possible. What she needs is a team of doctors which would consist of a pediatric medical oncologist, pediatric surgical oncologist and probably a radiation oncologist.

We talked about getting her help (no insurance/no money) in the states and he said the best thing to do would be to get her to a children's hospital that has access to good pediatric oncologists. He also said that the best way to do it is to just show up. I know that sounds crazy, but he made sense. He said if you started looking for surgeon's to help gratis without the kid being present, you would be hit with impossible schedules to deal with and it would be difficult to get someone to commit. But if you showed up at a children's hospital with Andrea asking for a consultation, you would definitely get someone's attention. I think he made a lot of sense. When you see Andrea and her condition, she does get your attention.

I was planning on trying to get Andrea and her mom to the states, and walking into that Oncologists office with Andrea and asking for his help. I know he will give me the name of a local pediatric oncology surgeon and let me use his name to get in the door. Kind of a crap shoot, but sometimes the best way to accomplish something is to just push your way thru.

Since there is a gofundme started, my suggestion would be to get her and Mom a passport. Than get them a visa (it can be done). And than walk in the front door of a good children's hospital and get her some help. There will still be a need for funds to cover flights, housing, food and possibly meds. That was going to be my plan, but then I saw this thread.

For what it's worth...
 
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HUG

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Feb 3, 2009
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This needs to be dealt with asap, at least to get the little girl comfortable. It needs to be broken down so those who are willing to make a big difference can see what needs to be raised for each part of the journey.

IMO, going to US is not going to be a successful journey? Deal with it in DR, make life easy.
 

Berzin

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Nov 17, 2004
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Contact Shriner's Hospital for Children in Boston, Massachusetts. They have a relationship with the DR, as I've had Dominican students with severe congenital disorders treated by this hospital.

I have no idea how these particular people were able to get to the states to receive treatment for their children, but I'm assuming this hospital in Boston has contacts in the DR who liaise with Dominican families with children in need.
 

ctrob

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Nov 9, 2006
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IMO, going to US is not going to be a successful journey? Deal with it in DR, make life easy.

Nonsense.

If she got to the States or Canada, she would get treatment. Right now there is no 30 thousand dollars available to treat
her in the DR. So what's your alternative?
 
I know my friend is taking her to a hospital on wed in Santiago and is meeting with a dr that potentially will do the surgery for free but it will still cost a lot of money for other things. I heard it was treatable too.

I will update things after the dr visit on wed.

The dr's were not willing to do anything before bc of lack of money but bc there is some money now they are ready to start the process.
 

HUG

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Feb 3, 2009
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Nonsense.

If she got to the States or Canada, she would get treatment. Right now there is no 30 thousand dollars available to treat
her in the DR. So what's your alternative?

Nonesense yourself. This needs treatment pronto. You think there is a high chance of getting her out if the country and sorted quicker than we could deal wifh her in DR?
There is not $30,000 available right now, no, we don'nt need it all right now. That is why I said, lets have a breakdown. Those who will make a big difference and help better. It appeals more when the donation comes with knowledge of a progress result of some form.
You wanna wait around for visas, hunting down voluntary surgeons etc abroad, raising the extra money for travel, accom etc when this can be dealt with quicker in DR.
So nonesense yourself, get real
You have any idea how many visa applications are made each year on such grounds, and much more desperate? Obviously not!
But anyway, seems like this is getting done and we should have updates next week.

Bless her X
 

La Profe_1

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Oct 15, 2003
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If you are serious about trying to get her to the US, the route to take is to try to get her screened in Santo Domingo for the US Foundation, Healing the Children. If she is accepted, they will either provide the needed surgery in the DR, or if it is deemed necessary, will make the arrangements to have her and her mother go to the US for the treatment. That includes finding surgeons, arranging for a visa, etc. In the past the screening has been done at Corazones Unidos in SD. Offhand, I can't remember the name of the physician, but a call to the headquarters of the foundation in the state of Washington should make it easy to obtain.

On the subject of just showing up at a hospital in the US, that is not likely to happen. I have experience with the process of arranging to take a Dominican child to the US for surgery. Without a series of letters attesting to the doctor and hospital being willing to treat at no charge, the visa is unlikely to be granted. The day I took the girl to the Consulate in SD, she was one of only three approved for a visa that day. However, she had a letter from a hospital, a letter from a vascular surgeon and a letter from a foster family all offering care and medical treatment. This child traveled to the US, had the surgery, had four months of recuperation and returned to the DR.

As the saying goes....

Been there, done that.
 

ctrob

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Nov 9, 2006
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I know my friend is taking her to a hospital on wed in Santiago and is meeting with a dr that potentially will do the surgery for free but it will still cost a lot of money for other things. . .

If it helps, I could paypal a few bucks to help with transportation costs tomorrow.
 

j&t's future

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Mar 6, 2007
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I'm in CMC and the lovely Andrea is here with a couple of Canadian friends waiting for a firm diagnosis on her condition. She's so brave. Her mother is here as well.
A full update from todays examinations will be posted here as soon as the results are known.

J&T
 
Aug 21, 2007
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I'm in CMC and the lovely Andrea is here with a couple of Canadian friends waiting for a firm diagnosis on her condition. She's so brave. Her mother is here as well.
A full update from todays examinations will be posted here as soon as the results are known.

J&T

Thank you. The Strength for the Journey Foundation has some funds set aside to contribute as soon as more information is available and a concrete plan in place. Best of luck to all.

Lindsey
 
So how'd it go yesterday? Was it only CMC and no Santiago trip?

Yes she went to CMC yesterday to see a specialist.

They are starting with an 8 week treatment program going weekly to CMC in hopes to reduce the swelling in her tongue and mouth area. After that is done they will decide what needs to happen next.

Our jobs as volunteers is to get her to her treatments and supply healthy food and vitamins during the eight week treatment period.

As some of you know my wife is in a band called No DRama and another one No DRama lite so they will
have donation boxes wherever they are playing. This week is Friday at Mojito's in Cab 7-9, sat the finish line 4-7 and wed at the Check point 4:30-7:30 in Sosua.
You can also still donate to the gofundme link :)

Thank you to anyone who has made donations and we will keep you up to date on Andrea's care as we move along with the treatments

All proceeds go directly to Andrea's care and receipts will be kept for expenses.
 

web

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Nov 5, 2005
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Any news? Are the 8 treatments chemo?

I saw Diosa Andrea and her mom in front of Merengue Bar last night. I approached her after reading the thread on here yesterday. The mom told me nothing was scheduled or being done to help out the little girl. The little girl is so cute and active and her condition looks bad. So not sure what is going on? Does anyone have any updates? I have her number if anyone wants it they can PM me.