Elsi Marisol

End Date: Dec 31, 2015 11:00 PM

NOVEMBER 19, 2015: It is with great sadness that we share with you the news that our reference patient and sol, Elsi Marisol, passed away early this morning.

At the end of last week, her doctors changed her chemotherapy drugs in an attempt to combat the disease, and unfortunately the change was too harsh for her body.

The GB Panama team grew very close with Elsi, and while we are extremely saddened, we also recognize that she has been suffering greatly and she is now at peace.

Thank you to everyone who supported Elsi and her family, through kind words, medical inquiries and funds. We felt your love and greatly appreciate it. Our support, while small, was able to make the whole process and little more comfortable for Elsi and her family.

To date, we have supported the family with medications and $2,170 of the funds shown here. The remainder, along with any additional donations made before November 23, will be used to cover outstanding bills and funeral arrangements.

AUGUST UPDATE: Elsi finished the initial rounds of chemotherapy and celebrated her second birthday! Her tumors have responded adequately to the chemotherapy, but doctors have determined that they must be removed surgically. Due to the tumor locations, this will require a liver transplant. In Panama, there no are facilities that perform liver transplants in children, which means that the procedure will have to be done in another country. Because of their lack of social security, Elsi's family will have to assume the entire cost of this surgery, which is estimated to be $104,000. We are working with government and non-governmental organizations to seek additional support and funding, and reaching out to our GB networks for ideas, donations and resources. The goal on this empowered page is $3,000 to reflect initial costs as we are not able to download funds in Panama until a goal is met.

ORIGINAL POST: At one year and nine months old, Elsi Marisol has spent much of her life traveling with her parents from their home in Darién to the capital city to receive treatment for two cancerous tumors in her liver (Hepatoblastoma). Elsi and her family live in Aguas Frías, a community Global Brigades has partnered with for the past four years.

About six months ago, Elsi's parents noticed that she was constantly sick with diarrhea, colds and fevers. Trip after trip to health clinics revealed clean blood tests, but she continued to fall ill, and her stomach grew tight as if there was something inside. Her parents continued to search for answers, traveling the five hours to the city and finally discovering that she had two tumors in her liver: one the size of a baseball and another the size of a pingpong ball.

Elsi is currently undergoing chemotherapy, and the tumors are shrinking. Elsi's parents and two older brothers are committed to this difficult process, working together to care for the baby of the family. GB Panama is fundraising to help cover medical expenses.