Leslie's Story
Leslie can see her future again thanks to the work of Para Los Niños. Suffering from a terminal disease and the insensitivity of the doctors who used her to translate to her parents and tell them of her state, Leslie came to Para Los Niños emotionally distraught.
A sickly child, ten-year-old Leslie has had her share of doctor visits. None will ever compare to the one she had last year. As Leslie’s parents do not speak English, her doctors would often give Leslie the information about her health and ask her to pass the information on to her mother and father. On this fateful day, they told Leslie that she was dying; they then asked her to tell her parents. Shocked and in disbelief, Leslie proceeded to share the terrible news.
Needless to say, Leslie’s parents were horrified and Leslie was traumatized. They called upon Para Los Niños to help them through this painful time. They met with a case worker, Luis, who offered psychological support and explained Leslie’s patient rights to her parents. Leslie’s doctors should not have used her as a translator. Luis went to the hospital to personally speak with the doctors and staff working on Leslie’s case. Luis also collaborated with the hospital’s social services department to ensure Leslie and her parents would receive information about her health status, course of treatment, and recovery in the right way.
Luis didn’t stop there. He teamed up with Make-a-Wish Foundation to get Leslie a laptop. He also researched her illness and found an experimental treatment at a reputable university. Leslie’s doctor conducted additional research on the treatment and decided to use the treatment with Leslie.
Leslie responded extremely well to the course of treatment and is now on the road to recovery. The family continues to see Luis to help them fill out forms and find financial aid for Leslie’s expensive treatments. Leslie’s parents have grown close to the caseworker and say he’s just like one of the family.
Fast Facts
More than 6 million children go home alone each week.
------
A child in California is born into poverty every 5 minutes.
------
A child in California is abused or neglected every 4 minutes.
