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"MELVI" deserves a chance


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Am posting the following (read below) on this board because I think, while perfectly understanding the concept of "you cannot save them all", this little girl (who lives on the South shore) really deserves her ONE CHANCE in life -- to have a plane ride, to visit a foreign country -- and to SEE what she's experiencing. (Look at what she's achieved scholastically while blind!) In the event her hoped-for cornea transplant fails (only 50% chance of success due to suffering from Lupus) , at least for the rest of her life, while physically blind, she will have this ONE MEMORY to go back to in her mind and enjoy.
She WAS being helped by Niños Incapacitados, but has "aged out" (16 is the limit), and that's why others need to step in. PLEASE have the patience to read to the end. It tore at my heart -- surely it will tear at yours. Every peso counts....... and in the event not enough can be raised, Pat will refund to all donors.
By the way, her Lupus drug is 15 x more expensive than a similar one, so I can only assume the docs feel it is truly necessary for her to take it, since they know her financial condition. And since it is also an anti-rejection drug, she will need it for the rest of her life........
If you are inclined to donate to this worthy project,
(1) please be assured I know Pat Baxter -- she's honest, trustworthy, and this is "for real", and
(2) no need to say anything to me (unless you want to ask a question). Just please contact Pat directly at the noted email or phone.
(3) PM me if you want futher info on my part
And muchas gracias, either way. Have a great day!
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Pat Baxter <mexicanadventure@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 11, 2015 at 9:26 PM
Subject: Fund raising for Melvi


Dear Lakesiders
Following is a copy of a fund raising letter which I sent out recently to a few of my sponsors in an attempt to raise the necessary funds for a cornea transplant for a blind student who is part of my school sponsorship program, Pathways. To date I have received pledges amounting to roughly 30,000 pesos, so I am still in need of another 30,000 pesos in order to make this happen. UPDATE JUNE 17 -- a special person has added 10,000, so we only need 20,000 to proceed in time for Melvi's trip.....
If you have any friends who you think might be interested in contributing to Melvi's surgery, would you please share this email with them and they can contact me if they would like to ask any questions or to make a donation. Thanks very much for any interest you can find amongst your friends in this girl's case. She has her whole life ahead of her and I would dearly love to help her see enough to be independent.
Best regards,
Pat Baxter 766-1667

Subject: Melvi Diaz Torres ( Pathways Student )

Hi Everyone,
Today I am writing to you with regards to a young lady who is part of the Pathways School Sponsorship Program.
I have spoken with all of you before at some point about Melvi, or at the very least you have heard about her via my Pathways updates to my sponsors and the web page which tells a bit about her.
Melvi is now 17 years old and not only has lupus but is blind. She is trying hard in Prepa ( high school ) to achieve good marks and in January had an average mark of 84%. She likely could do better if she could see, and she comes from a very poor family whose limited means are stretched just to pay for her lupus medicine, which is 800 pesos ( $52 USD ) every 12 days. The medicine is named Accocept 500mg, which is Acido Micofenolico . Her mother is a housewife and her father works in the berry fields, making 1200 pesos ( $78 USD ) per week. Her family all pitch in to help her get this medicine. Lupus never goes away so she will always have to deal with that huge expense.
Melvi went blind when she was 10 years old due to an improperly treated ulcerative condition in her eyes. One eye was removed, leaving her with just one eye which is virtually blind. She uses a white cane and must be led around the school by her classmates. I have been trying to have sight restored to Melvi's eye ever since a local Ophthalmologist suggested to me that it might be done. Dr. Rios provides free eye exams and glasses to any Pathways student who requires his help. He has offered to do a free cataract surgery on Melvi, but as it turns out she also needs a cornea transplant which is a much bigger deal. This requires a different specialist, and due to the cost of the hospital, the specialist, the price for the cornea, and the medicines which are required for about a year after the surgery, I am now trying to raise 80,000 pesos ( $5218 USD ) to give Melvi the chance to get some vision back. She will never be able to have full sight, however the Doctors say that she should be able to walk unassisted and that would be life changing for her. Dr. Rios also donated a prosthesis recently to replace the missing eye.
She has been chosen by her school to go to Brazil, to represent them, along with another girl and a teacher in a science project this October. This is a girl who will otherwise never have the opportunity to fly in an airplane, or to go to a foreign country, things most of us think nothing of as we have done it many times. It would be amazing if she could actually see a bit of this, wouldn't it?

Dr. Rios and the cornea specialist, Dr. Ochoa, feel that Melvi should have this chance, even though due to the lupus her rejection risk with the cornea is high. They have kindly offered 10,000 pesos each to help with the costs of this surgery, so now I need to try to raise the remaining 60,000 pesos, which is roughly $3900 USD.

REMEMBER -- now down to only 20,000.......!!!

If you would consider helping Melvi with a donation to her surgery it would be greatly appreciated. I have attached a few photos and the biography which Melvi filled out last August in order to join the Pathways program. Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to talk to me about her. Feel free to share this email with any friends who you think might be touched by Melvi's story. Thank you very much for your consideration.
Best regards,
Pat Baxter......... via Natasha


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Best way is to phone or email Pat Baxter (both are including in the story).

And thank you, Yo 1, for asking. The faster the remaining pesos become available, the sooner the doctors can try and get this girl on her way before it's time to go to Brazil!

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If anyone would like to donate towards Melvi's surgery, Dr. Rios' office on the NE corner of the carretera at Colon in Ajijic will accept the money. The receptionist, Nadia, will gladly make sure the money goes to the right place. They are in the same strip mall as Charter Club Tours and their phone number is 766-1521.

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to SEA -- please contact Pat Baxter (info above) and she will fill you in. She's the organizer and is best informed. OR--- you might want to talk directly to Dr. Rios, and he will assure you of the facts and the validity of this fund drive. Be sure to mention Melvi's name, and also Pat Baxter.

Apparently the downloads cannot be viewed... probably because I did not know how to transfer from the original email correctly. I have asked someone who knows better than I to do it today. Thankyou, all -- PLEASE help this young lady!

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Someone has kindly offered to match donations up to 5000 pesos ( Thank you! Thank you! ) if we can get some more support going for her. The easiest way to donate is to drop off an envelope marked for Melvi at the office of Dr. Rios. If you need to know his office hours you can call 766-1521. Please folks let's help this girl take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to be rid of her white cane and to be able to go to school independently! She has to come from San Pedro Tesistan on the south side of the lake to Jocotepec to attend Prepa. At the moment she is entirely dependent on her mother. She only needs 20,000 pesos more, which is $1300 USD to make this cornea transplant take place. Please share her story with anyone who you feel might be interested in helping out. This would literally be life-changing for her. Click the link below to see her photos with Dr. Rios and with her guidance counselor and her Pathways sponsor.

http://operationfeedsjc.squarespace.com/pathways-2014-2015-school-year/2014/9/30/melvis-eye-appointment

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to SEA -- please contact Pat Baxter (info above) and she will fill you in. She's the organizer and is best informed. OR--- you might want to talk directly to Dr. Rios, and he will assure you of the facts and the validity of this fund drive. Be sure to mention Melvi's name, and also Pat Baxter.

kk. I'm going to see Dr. Rios next week on another matter. A good time to ask and donate.

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ANOTHER NEWS FLASH!!! Saturday morning another very generous person (anonymous) has added 10,000 pesos -- so now we only have$8,000 to go!!

To be very clear, gimpychimp referred to a donation of up to 5,000 if matching funds are available. That money has NOT been given yet, It is conditional on getting a match. So yes, we really still need other to stepinto the ring........

Gracias to all!

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