Rayito de Esperanza Corporation

Programa: Rayito sobre ruedas (programa Rayito on wheels): an important part of receiving good medical care is for children with cancer to attend all their medical appoints. With this purpose in mind, we devised the Rayito sobre ruedas program to be able to provide children with cancer patients with the necessary transportation so they will not miss any of their medical appointments.

PROGRAMA DE LA MANO CONTIGO (PROGRAM HAND TO HAND WITH YOU): Cancer treatments are long, aggressive and expensive. They require continuous visits to the hospital or health centers and extensive care at home. This can make it difficult for families to have access to what they need because they do not have sufficient financial resources. The main function of this program is to provide financial assistance to these families, these are, but are not limited to: efraying hospital expenses, medical consultations, medications, tests, surgeries, procedures, medical equipment, home health ices and fees for medical professionals. In addition, the mortgage or rent/house payment is paid, help with air transportation, food costs, household items(air conditioners, humifidiers, refrigerators, room sets, etc.), personal itema(diapers, creams, wet towels).

The Rayito de Esperanza Foundation offers the ''Alexandra Centeno Sierra educational program'', wich currently benefits child cancer patients and survivors who, after overcoming the disease, need financial resources to defray the costs of their education. We provide what is necessary for children to have a quality education in order to contribute to their phisical, emotional, social and moral pment. Our purpose is to promote the acquisition of knowledge and skills that allow children and young people to be self-sufficient.among the aids that are included are: the payment of tuition, monthly payments, transportation, purchase of uniforms and school supplies.

PROGRAM FOOD 4 LOVE:A good diet is an essential part for a child diagnosed with cancer, since both the disease and its treatment can affect the child's appetite, their tolerance to food and their body's ability to assimilate nutrients. Eating the right kinds of foods before, during, and after treatment can help a child feel better and stay stronger. Cancer and its treatment can also affect the way the body tolerates certain foods, as well as its ability to use the nutrients. Nutrients needed by those with childhood cancer vary for each child. The doctor, nurse, and registered dietitian can help you identify your child's nutrition goals and plan ways to help reach them. Eating well during cancer treatment can help: better tolerate treatment and related side effects, heal and recover quickly, have less risk of infection during treatment, have more strength and energy, maintain weight and allow the body to store nutrients, provide better capacity for normal growth and development, feel better and have a better quality of life (less irritability, better quality of sleep, and greater willingness to collaborate with the cancer team) Food for Love provides hospitalized child cancer patients with healthy foods to supplement their daily diet. Once a week, during the visits of our volunteers, a balanced food package is delivered, ranging from oatmeal, milk, fruits, grains, juices, among others. In the same way, and thinking about the limitation of mobility, food is delivered to their caregivers, so that they can complete their nutritional needs. It should be noted that this program during the last 8 years has delivered more than 5,760 snack packages to hospitalized children. In our effort to provide the best services as possible, we have acquired a mobile unit, enabled for the preparation of food. The unit will provide free breakfast, lunch and dinner to parents and caregivers of children in the hospital.