Today I went searching for pictures of a girl we met in Guatemala. Her name is Aliceña, and in August she was living in Guatemala City so she could receive proper treatment for her leukemia. When we visited in March, we found out she was living at one of the Buckner Transitional Homes with some of the older girls. And her leukemia was gone.
I wanted to find her pictures so I could see for myself how much she had physically changed in a mere seven months. Here’s what I found:
True, it’s obviously the same girl. But now her hair is longer. Her face is thinner. Her eyes are bright and open. And she’s lost that “little girl” look.
Come to think of it, the others have changed a lot as well, especially the kids at the Babies’ Home. Each time we go back, I expect them to look the same as I remember them from the last trip, but look how much Estuardo, Danni, and Cristal have all changed in less than a year!
Isn’t Estuardo guapo (handsome)?
I kinda liked the bowl cut, but Danni’s cute any way you go!
Cristal has perhaps visibly changed the most. In between our first and second trip, she received a new eye! She loves looking in the mirror and telling others how pretty it looks.
I’m so excited about going back in June that I’m having trouble falling asleep at night. If you know me, that’s a big HUGE deal. One of the many things I’m looking forward to is another shocking reunion with these “babies” where I’m once again blown away by how much they’ve changed in a few short months.
Thank you so much for sharing your photos. It is wonderful to see how the children are thriving at the Buckner home.
I noticed the most the light in their eyes in recent photos.
I wish I could scoop Dani up and help him make his dream true of becoming a barber. Estruado, so bright, so much potential!