Living in the Shadows

When I was in Antigua, Guatemala a few weeks ago, we encountered a very sad situation with some Mayan children from high in the mountains suffering from a severe skin condition called Xeroderma Pigmentosum. These children cannot repair their skin after exposure to UV light and have skin cancers as a result. They usually only survive until about age 14.

There is a geneticist in Guatemala City working with the village, but there really isn't much to do to help them. These poor children live with the pain of skin ulcers daily and some are blind. The Aldara Cream that helps alleviate some of the skin irritation is very expensive - some of our mission team members purchsed a four month supply for the village children, and it cost $300. Unfortunately, this cream doesn't cure the disease.

There is no cure.

The treatment is to stay out of the sun - pretty difficult to do when you're poor in Central America.

If you want to help, go to the XP Society Guatemala Project site - there is a list of items that are needed and an address where to send supplies or funding.

Patient support: To make a donation for research and U.S. programs, contact the XP Society, 437 Snydertown Road, Craryville, NY 12521; telephone or fax, (518) 851-2612, or toll-free (within the United States) (877) XPS CURE or (877) 977-2873

Guatemala project: To make a donation, contact Good Samaritan International, P.O. Box 1622, Sultan, WA 98294; IRS employer identification number, 13-4234349, application on file for tax-exempt nonprofit, 501(c)(3), status; telephone, (425) 232-8932; fax, (360) 793-7549; samaritanos@aol.com.

Faith in Practice is the organization I go to Guatemala with.