Running For A Cause: Miami Half Marathon

Yesterday, my brother, sister, and I participated in the Miami Half Marathon for the second year in a row. We wanted to run in an attempt to raise money and awareness for Misioneros Del Camino—a cause that is very important to us all. After months of training, the big day had finally arrived! And go figure, it just so happened to be the coldest day of the year here in South Florida (which we were very thankful for).

We woke up at 4:00 in the morning to get some last minute carbs and protein in for breakfast, and made our way over to the American Airlines Arena, where the race was set to begin at 6:00am. When we arrived, we walked over to our assigned corral, and were in the company of 25,000 runners from over 80 countries!

Running throughout South Beach, Downtown Miami, and Brickell was invigorating, and the sights were incredible! What I enjoyed most about the event was the amount of individuals on the sidelines and all throughout the streets who cheered us on. Complete strangers spent their entire morning motivating us to keep on running. It was absolutely beautiful, and it made the event even more memorable. And running alongside thousands of individuals from all over the world, and working together to reach a common goal by pushing one another forward was incredible. After 12 full weeks of training and 173.06 miles completed, we crossed the finish line and were finally ready to rest!

This experience was definitely one to remember, and seeing how many loved ones came together to help support our cause has left me speechless. We were able to raise over $2,700 these past few weeks, which will help provide four children special education and daily therapies for an entire year—all for free at Misioneros Del Camino! Thanks to everyone’s help, we have been able to positively affect the lives of numerous children, and we will be able to help give them hope for a brighter future; one which they deserve! I could not be any more grateful or appreciative, and for that, I thank you all.

Running For A Cause: Part 3

As mentioned in my prior posts, this upcoming Sunday, January 24th, I’ll be running in the Miami Half Marathon to raise money and awareness for Misioneros Del Camino—a home for orphaned, abandoned, and malnourished children in Guatemala. Over the course of the next few days, I’ll be writing about Misioneros Del Camino and sharing the incredible background story of one brave woman’s calling from above to make a difference, as well as various success stories of some of the many children who grew up at MDC.

In 2006, a beautiful dream of Mami Leo’s had finally come true; a neurological center was established on site, providing special education, care, and numerous therapies to children with various neurological and developmental disorders such as autism, Down syndrome, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, learning disorders, attention deficit disorders, and many more. With a great team of certified therapists and psychologists, each year, hundreds of children are able to obtain the necessary treatments that they wouldn’t be able to receive anywhere else. Some of the various therapies include speech, physical, occupational, sensorial, and psychological therapy.

Imagine having a child in need of special care, but not having the funds to give your child the best possible care. On top of that, imagine having to work every day to provide for the rest of your family, all while living in a location with limited resources for your child in need. Misioneros Del Camino offers neurological care to children in need at no cost whatsoever. In addition to the necessary services, the neurological center on site provides the children with meals throughout the day, and offers transportation to pick up the child (and an accompanying parent) all for free. This significantly decreases any burden the family may have previously experienced, all while giving such children the necessary skills to be more independent and be put on a path to receive the bright future they each deserve.

One such child who has benefited immensely from the various therapies he receives at the Neurological Center is Alejandro. Alejandro arrived at the home nearly fifteen years ago at the age of six months old with a presenting history of cerebral palsy and delayed cognitive development. Throughout the years, he has been receiving daily therapies at the Neurological Center, and has shown tremendous progress. His physical, emotional, and neurological development have improved significantly and he is very involved with all of the activities taking place throughout the home. When Alejandro was first evaluated years ago, the staff at Misioneros Del Camino was told that he would never be able to walk or stand on his own. However, since receiving numerous daily therapies at the Neurological Center, he has been able to walk, run, eat, dress, and bathe all on his own. Alejandro loves all types of outdoor activities, especially playing ball! Thanks to the incredible work being done at Misioneros Del Camino, children like Alejandro can receive the medical care they need, while enjoying their childhood to the fullest.

In honor of the work Mami Leo has done, in continuing her legacy, and to help provide a bright future to the current generation of children at Misioneros Del Camino, I am running in this week’s Miami Marathon. If you would like to help contribute to this incredible cause so that we can help fulfill Mami Leo’s mission, please feel free to click on the below link. And if you would like to learn more about Misioneros Del Camino, please feel free to clink on the bottom link.

https://www.gofundme.com/5y82yn78 
www.misionerosdelcamino.org 

Misioneros Del Camino: The Opening of a Neurological Center

In 1986, Mami Leo answered a call from God to pack her belongings and move to Guatemala to help abandoned, abused, and malnourished children. With $2,700 raised by her and her prayer group, and faith that the Lord would guide her, Mami Leo devoted nearly thirty years of her life living in the mountains, nourishing, educating, and loving countless Guatemalan children in need. Throughout the past month, I have been discussion the incredible milestones that Misioneros Del Camino has accomplished thus far. As the story continues, we pick back up in 2006.

In 2006, a neurological center was established on site, providing care and numerous therapies to children with various neurological disorders such as autism, Down syndrome, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, and many more. With a great team of certified therapists, psychologists, and doctors, hundreds of children are able to obtain the necessary treatments that they wouldn’t be able to receive anywhere else.

In addition to special education, various types of therapies are provided to the children at the neurological center including: speech, physical, psychological, occupational, and sensorial therapy. Neurological and psychological evaluations as well as parental and therapeutic training seminars are also provided so that the children can learn to overcome the obstacles faced with their neurological disorders to the best of their abilities.

As you can see in the video below, all it takes is determination and a dream to make a difference in someone else’s life, which is exactly what Mami Leo has been done for nearly thirty years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0mi8kCMyZ0

Special Education at the Neurological Center

Various Therapies at the Neurological Center