Emotional health for kids with cancer in Ecuador

At Fundación Cecilia Rivadeneira, we have learned that childhood cancer never affects only one child. It impacts entire families emotionally, psychologically, socially, and financially. Behind every diagnosis, there are parents carrying overwhelming fear, siblings struggling to understand sudden changes, and families trying to stay emotionally strong while their world changes overnight.

Because of this, our mission goes far beyond medical accompaniment. We work to protect the emotional wellbeing of the entire family system during one of the most difficult experiences a family can face.

Over the past three months alone, thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have been able to provide more than 200 free specialized psychological interventions for families affected by childhood cancer. These interventions included emotional crisis support, individual therapy, family counseling, grief support, hospital-based accompaniment, therapeutic play sessions, and psychological stabilization for caregivers and children undergoing treatment.

For many families, this support has become the difference between facing cancer alone or feeling emotionally sustained during the process.

Our Work in Hospitals and Communities

Our psychological interventions take place both inside Baca Ortiz Hospital in Quito and within our foundation facilities, allowing families to receive continuous emotional support throughout treatment.

Together with our volunteers and mental health team, we create safe emotional spaces for children and families during hospitalization, medical procedures, and treatment recovery.

Our Impact So Far

Thanks to donor contributions and strategic partnerships, we have been able to:

• Deliver more than 200 free psychological interventions in the last three months alone, directly supporting families during moments of emotional crisis and treatment-related stress.
• Maintain weekly hospital interventions every Sunday, bringing emotional support, therapeutic activities, companionship, and moments of joy to hospitalized children and caregivers.
• Train and guide volunteers to strengthen therapeutic accompaniment and family-centered emotional support within hospital settings.
• In this months we were able to speacially train over 40 of our volunteers in psycological first aid so that their interventions are more meaningfull.

  Why Your Support Matters

  Childhood cancer treatment is not only medical — it is deeply emotional. Families facing pediatric cancer often experience anxiety, depression, emotional burnout, fear, and isolation while trying to care for their children.

  Your donations make it possible for families to access specialized psychological care completely free of charge, regardless of their economic situation.

  Every therapy session funded by this community becomes a space where:

  • a child feels less afraid,
  • a parent feels emotionally supported,
  • a sibling feels seen,
  • and a family regains hope.

  Thank you for helping us build a stronger, more compassionate support network for families facing childhood cancer in Ecuador. Your generosity is transforming lives far beyond the hospital walls.