St. Jude Global supports Dominican foundation in improving healthcare access for pediatric cancer patients

English | Español

Alex Capellán’s dedication to his work shines through and he never forgets his mission. He never knows when he will look into the eyes of a cancer patient who needs a few words of encouragement. Sometimes, a smile is enough.

“I love doing it, although I never thought it would happen in my life,” said Alex, a medical imaging specialist at an oncology center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Alex is aware that his work is crucial in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. Delays in diagnoses can lead to the progression of diseases. At 4 years old, Alex was diagnosed with a tumor in his bladder, known as sarcoma.

The prescribed treatments were expensive. Alex did not have health insurance, and resources were running out at home. His parents could do nothing else but seek help.

“That’s when an angel appeared who had just established an organization to help children with cancer,” he recalled.

The angel was Alexandra Matos de Purcell, president and executive director of Fundación Amigos contra el Cáncer Infantil (Friends Against Childhood Cancer Foundation, FACCI). The organization is now affiliated with the St. Jude Global Alliance, an international community led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and dedicated to improving access to quality care and increasing survival rates for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases worldwide.

“Around 90% of children with cancer in the Dominican Republic are from lower-middle socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Matos de Purcell. “Apart from the lack of resources in their families, there is not much awareness about the issue at the national level, which prevents more early diagnoses.”

More than a third of children diagnosed, according to FACCI, seek help when their cancer is at a very advanced stage. Consequently, treatments are more intense and the cost of medications increases.

FACCI supported Alex throughout his two years of treatment at the Dr. Robert Reid Cabral Children’s Hospital in the Dominican capital. There he underwent surgery and received both chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

“They were with us 100 percent,” Alex said. Back then, in 2004, the survival rate for children with cancer in the Caribbean country was less than 16 percent. Today, it exceeds 60 percent.

Alex enthusiastically shares his happiness over the rising survival rates and the significant strides the foundation has made. The foundation offers patients and their family members housing, which didn’t exist when he was a child.

“Even at 4 years old, I ended up sleeping in a crib while my mother slept on the floor due to a lack of beds in the hospital,” he said.

Treatment in Two Hours

FACCI’s “Treatment for All” program makes it possible for children who have been diagnosed with cancer to start receiving treatment within two hours of being evaluated by a psychosocial team.

It is a significant effort aimed at winning the race against time with the disease.

“For us, providing care to them in two hours is a mission,” emphasized Vivian Purcell Matos, Alexandra’s daughter and strategist on FACCI’s board of directors. “Within that time is when they immediately receive all the support we can provide, including access to medications, diagnostic exams, medical imaging, blood transfusions, and a place where they can stay overnight and receive food if needed.”

The support is inclusive, Vivian said. Regardless of nationality or whether the patient has health insurance, the foundation provides basic supplies, psychological assistance, transportation and in case of death, financial help for funeral services.

“The foundation covers absolutely everything. We work tirelessly to obtain resources that allow us to meet the children’s needs,” Vivian said.

Leading the way

FACCI has stood out for its innovation since its inception. Not only has it improved access to care for pediatric cancer patients, but it has also pioneered efforts to address delayed diagnoses by forming alliances to provide more resources to families.

In recent years, the organization has collaborated closely with the Dominican Ministry of Public Health to raise awareness about the early warning signs of childhood cancer.

Through this alliance, early detection guidelines have been developed for families. To raise awareness of the symptoms of pediatric cancer, giant dolls displaying information about the disease’s symptoms have been placed in public squares to catch the attention of kids and adults. The organization has been affiliated with St. Jude for over 18 years.

“It is one of the greatest blessings we have received as a foundation. They have been a guide and example through training for our doctors, nurses and foundation staff. Additionally, they have provided financial support, and all of that has allowed us to grow and work better for the children. It has been comprehensive support.” Vivian said.

Hand in Hand with Families

In addition to supporting about 400 patients a year, the foundation extends a helping hand to their families.

One program aimed at parents teaches them practical skills so they can earn a living if they have no source of income. Another initiative involves repairing or building homes for families who do not have a suitable place to return to with their children after treatment.

This year, they are developing a specialized unit to support adolescents and young adults transitioning out of pediatric care.

It is just one of FACCI’s many goals.

“This is the life mission we have as a family,” said Vivian, who, following her mother’s legacy, joined the foundation as a volunteer when she was a teenager.

“We dream of having a highly specialized hospital to care for children with cancer in our country, where they are offered the best opportunities and find everything they need to be treated with dignity and have the chance to be cured,” said Alexandra.

For more information about Fundación Amigos contra el Cáncer Infantil visit https://www.facci.org.do