Guatemalan Father Dies Giving Autistic Son a Better Life

Post Reply New Topic

Looks like this is a call to action/donations for this family in particular but I guess also from the viewpoint of autistic kids in third world countries...

http://www.latinalista.net/palabrafinal ... tic_s.html

Guatemalan Father Dies Giving Autistic Son a Better Life in the United States

In one case, the medical treatment of one family's young autistic
child was enough reason to lead a couple to choose to stay in the US
illegally and for the father to end up dying for the love of his son.

Ricardo Gomez Garcia, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, worked
a double shift at the Bianco factory in New Bedford. He and his wife,
Juana, married 20 years, left their four children with Juana's mother
in Guatemala as they made their way to the northeast US to find jobs
that paid enough money to send home to pay for school fees and other
expenses for their children.

In the meantime, they had another son who was born in the United
States. Unfortunately, the baby, named Mauricio, was diagnosed with
autism.

Juana takes Mauricio to special therapy classes and he must also
receive specialized medical care. The two shifts at the Biano factory
helped pay for that therapy and treatment.
....
Now, the breadwinner of one family in two countries is gone. As any
mother, Juana is worried about the future of her children with Ricardo
gone. If she returns to Guatemala, she knows Mauricio, who is a US
citizen, won't ever receive the treatment and specialized schooling
that autistic children need.

But if she stays, the hardships and continued worrying for her
children still left in Guatemala, with no money to send them, burdens
her as well.

In the meantime, she knows Ricardo must go home one last time. But she
doesn't have the money to send his body back.

Therefore, contributions are being collected to help Juana.
Contributions for Ricardo's burial and his family can be sent to
Catholic Social Services, 238 Bonney St., New Bedford, MA 02744.

Ricardo and Juana's actions will be condemned by critics but nobody
can condemn the love Ricardo had for his family that he would die to
provide his children the best he could get for them.