In Paraguay, a poor, landlocked country in the heart of South America, a child with cancer has very few options. Some 60% of Paraguay’s rural population lives below the poverty line and many have limited access to
medical treatment. Children with cancer who are fortunate enough to be properly diagnosed have only a 50% survival rate over five years—in part because they may have to wait months or even years for treatment due to
lack of funds or chemotherapy drugs. By contrast, the National Cancer Institute here estimates that pediatric cancer patients in the United States have a five-year survival rate of almost 80%. We support children seeking treatment at the National Cancer Institute (INCAN) outside Asuncion, which takes in the poorest of the poor.