Meet Alin + Christian

They may be called “parents,” but Leo calls them superheroes.

Alin and Christian are the parents of young Leo, who was born with a primary immunodeficiency. Upon learning about their son’s illness, they started their journey down a long path to find treatment for their only son. Alin remarks:

“When I was a child I saw a movie about the ‘bubble boy’ with my mother, but I never imagined that my son would be born with that.”

Alin and Christian’s biggest challenge along the way has been acquiring the financial resources to obtain a bone marrow transplant for their child, but they never quit. Instead, they got creative. Leo’s parents found a way to spread Leo’s story on the radio, which helped them gain the resources to give him the beautiful life that he deserves.

They now work together with the Mexican Foundation for Girls and Boys with Primary Immunodeficiencies (FUMENI) to help children like Leo access the resources they need to grow up happy and healthy. FUMENI also obtained legal recognition of the disease by advocating to the higher courts in Mexico. But perhaps most importantly, FUMENI supports the families impacted by primary immunodeficiencies by listening to them, helping them overcome obstacles, and by organizing events that allow families to share information and create life-long bonds.

“When we spend time with other parents at FUMENI events, we feel confident because we know that, in this space, they understand us.”

Learn more about FUMENI, a GlobalGiving partner.

— Original story by Patricia Martínez of the GlobalGiving Field Program

This is a story from GlobalGiving’s Voices from the Crowd series.