How Far Would You Go to Save Your Son’s Life?

Some crises are complex. This one wasn’t.

Samuel was dying of malnourishment. It really was that simple.

Samuel, 5, is paralyzed from the neck down. He relies on a feeding tube to get the nourishment he needs. But he was starving and sick, because that feeding tube was clogged.

All he needed was a simple procedure to fix his tube.

The thing is, Samuel and his family are from Venezuela, where the economy is in freefall. The entire healthcare system has collapsed.

There are doctors to diagnose, but no money for medicine, supplies, or even the most basic treatment.

There was literally nothing that could be done for Samuel.

His parents knew their only hope was to flee. The crossing is incredibly dangerous, but they risked it anyway to save their son’s life.

This is the perseverance, the grit, the greatness of refugees.

This is what 26 million refugees do all over the world—fight for life, for dignity, for their children’s future.

Every single day.

It took a year for Samuel to get the care he needed, even after they fled.

Can you imagine the terror of waiting a year to know if your baby could eat or not? The weight of each minute, hour, day?

But Samuel’s parents fought the desperation of impending loss. And you met them at a clinic on the Venezuela border. A clinic that you keep staffed and stocked so that Venezuelans can finally get medical care.

For many, this clinic is the only option for care. It certainly was for Samuel, whose condition was critical when he was brought in.

Samuel with our Rafael, Preemptive Love’s Latin America programs officer, after receiving treatment at our clinic near the Venezuela border. Photo by Rafael Avila/Preemptive Love

Samuel’s parents are courage personified. They’ve put everything on the line to give their baby boy a shot at life. Because they know he has a right to hope. The right to a future, as all our children do.

This is how hard refugees fight for those they love.

This is why we’re fighting along with them.

For World Refugee Day (June 20), you can invest in refugees like Samuel and his parents. A generous donor is challenging you to help match their $50k—making your investment go even further.

If you give monthly, your donation will be matched every month this year, providing food, medicine, and jobs.