Losing Our Angel to Cancer

In June we lost one of our scholars, fifteen-year-old Matheo Flores, to cancer.  Matheo was a very happy, intelligent, very sociable child who loved to play video games and dreamed of becoming a doctor to help kids just like him.  He was the only boy in his family and he loved his sisters dearly.  At age one, his health challenges began with a high fever that led to convulsions and paralysis on the right side of his body.  His loving parents, Maribel and Victor, constantly cared for him, and with therapy and adequate treatment, he improved.
 
When he was seven, his concerned parents took him to the hospital because he had a fever, and bone pain and was very tired. Matheo was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

For the whole family it was very hard, sad, and complicated news. His mother made a big sacrifice and journeyed to the United States to find stable work.  Matheo’s father stayed behind to take him to weekly chemotherapies, blood transfusions, and to receive platelets. 
 
Nine months ago, after seven years of struggle, he rang the bell at the hospital as he beat his cancer! This was a very joyous moment for Matheo and his family, and he returned to school to pursue his dreams.  

At that moment, his dreams were ruined again by this disease. His only hope was a bone marrow transplant, which is very expensive, and the surgery is not even performed in Nicaragua.  Though we looked for options outside the country, Matheo’s cancer spread quickly through his body so a transplant was no longer an option.  The doctors gave him three months to live.
 
From that moment, we tried to ensure that Matheo lived his last days with complete comfort with his father and sisters. Because of people like you, he received daily nursing care from one of our graduates, Elmer, and we were able to provide him with a hospital bed, air conditioning, rehabilitation equipment, medicine, oxygen and a family doctor during his battle. Thanks to International Samaritan’s Step by Step Program, with a healthy diet, care, and love he lived longer than the three months doctors expected.
 
In Nicaragua we say that children who pass away become angels. Matheo was our angel and now he watches over us and his fellow scholars.

Jacqueline Lopez, Program Coordinator in Nicaragua

Jacqueline joined IntSam in 2021. She has a degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, but found her passion in serving others. She says, “I thank God for giving me the opportunity and the talent to support the vulnerable children who live around the Managua landfill. My life, thinking and empathy as a human being have changed completely. I devote myself with love, patience, and honesty to give my best to them.” Her favorite scripture is in Matthew 22, “You shall love the Lord, your God and your neighbor as yourself.”