Elsi Marisol
At one year and nine months old, Elsi Marisol has spent much of her life traveling with her parents from their home in Darién to the capital city to receive treatment for two cancerous tumors in her liver (Hepatoblastoma). Elsi and her family live in Agua Fría, a community Global Brigades has partnered with for the past four years. 
About six months ago, Elsi's parents noticed that she was constantly sick with colds and fevers. Trip after trip to health clinics revealed clean blood tests, but she continued to fall ill, and her stomach grew tight as if there was something inside. Her parents continued to search for answers, traveling the five hours to the city and finally discovering that she had two tumors in her liver: one the size of a baseball and another the size of a pingpong ball.
Elsi is currently undergoing chemotherapy, and the tumors are shrinking. Elsi's parents and two older brothers are committed to this difficult process, working together to care for the baby of the family.
The next step may be a surgery to remove the tumors, but this depends on the progress of chemotherapy. Global Brigades Panama is fundraising to help cover medical expenses: chemotherapy, blood tests, scans and possibly surgery.