Laura works for an Angel

Among Domingo Sabio and La 16 streets, in the Suburb of Guayaquil, there is a small grocery store called “Miguel Ángel” ,named after the birth of the third son of Laura Barr Mancheno, a hard working woman who struggles to support her home day after day.

Laura has two grown children, she is widowed and lives alone with her son Miguel Angel, a 17 year old Down syndrome teenager. Due to the condition of her son, Laura used to frequent SERLI (Pro Ecuadorian Society Rehabilitation of Cripples) to give therapies to Miguel Ángel, but due to lack of funds she had to stop taking him to the therapies.

One day, Laura heard the recommendation to request support to Crusade For a New Humanity Foundation (FCNH for its Spanish acronym): “Mr. Alvaro Noboa helped me with the therapies and special boots for him (Miguel Angel) to wear for school because he has crooked little feet,” says the 60-year-old mother while sitting outside her store, which has been working for two years.

This is not the first time Laura seeks help from FCNH, 10 years ago she wanted to put on a business, so she was donated $ 1,000 “but my husband became ill, he suffered from liver deseases and I used that money for his medicine,” says Laura. Following the death of her husband, she was “embarrased” to ask for help to FCNH again, but she did. “I didn’t know where to get money, he (Miguel Angel) wears diapers and takes an expensive medicine daily, so I went back to ask for help and he (Álvaro Noboa) gave me again $ 1,000 for my business.”

Laura Barr continues to work in her store and is very grateful to Alvaro Noboa and FCNH, because without their help, she would not have been able to support her home and “celebrate her youngest son’s birthday”, she says.

(MS)