Once Given Little Chance of Survival, Baby Marcela is Alive and Thriving, Thanks to FFTP Donors
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Dec. 29, 2025) – Nearly five years ago, a baby was born on New Year’s Eve in Guatemala with little chance of reaching her first birthday. Baby Marcela, affectionately known as “Marcelita,” had a rare, life-threatening heart condition requiring surgery that was unavailable in Guatemala and beyond her family’s financial reach.
That changed when Food For The Poor (FFTP) donors stepped in, opening a new path forward. Today, Marcela is alive, healthy, and thriving.
“We were told there was no chance of survival,” her mother, Isabel said. “However, today we are living proof that hope, faith, and solidarity can transform realities. We want to express our sincerest gratitude to Food For The Poor and to each of the donors who have been a fundamental pillar in our lives.”
Marcela was born on Dec. 31, 2020, with ectopia cordis, a condition in which babies are born with their hearts partially or entirely outside their chest cavities. Only eight of every one million babies have ectopia cordis, and 90 percent die within three days of birth. With no doctor in Guatemala able to perform the delicate surgery that could save her life, Marcela’s only chance was treatment in the United States.
Undaunted by their plight, Isabel – whose family income was the equivalent of about $450 per month – focused on getting Marcela the care she needed. Family and friends organized fundraisers, church members prayed for a miracle, and Univision carried Marcela’s story beyond Guatemala.
That coverage reached Fort Lauderdale hairstylist Xiomara Florencio, who shared the story with a client, Fatima Pray, then Senior Development Advisor at FFTP. Pray, who is now deceased, shared the story with her supervisor and the “Have a Heart for Marcela” campaign was born.
Through FFTP’s Benevolent Program, Marcela received support for two complex heart procedures at Boston Children’s Hospital. Surgeons successfully corrected her ectopia cordis, as well as a structural heart defect, and a weakness in her abdominal wall that caused organs to protrude through the belly button.
“Stories like Marcela’s bring joy to our donors and our staff at Food For The Poor,” said FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine. “Her mother’s faith and determination show what is possible and that resonated with our donors in a miraculous way.”
Since her treatment, Marcela and her family annually travel from their home in El Progreso to a hospital in Guatemala City for routine check-ups. A recent pediatric evaluation at Juan Pablo Hospital confirmed that while she remains petite, Marcela is healthy and developing normally.
Now enrolled in preschool and enjoying experiences of childhood once thought unattainable, Marcela’s miraculous journey has reached a joyful milestone.
“Marcelita is about to celebrate her fifth birthday,” Isabel said, calling her treatment a “miracle that fills our hearts with joy and gratitude.”
Click the following link to read the initial coverage of the “Miracle For Marcela” fundraising campaign: https://foodforthepoor.org/press/marcela-guatemalan-infant-lifesaving-surgery-111721/
About Food For The Poor
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the United States, is committed to facilitating paths out of poverty and transforming lives. As an interdenominational Christian ministry, we help families across Latin America and the Caribbean. Our efforts span urgent humanitarian relief and long-term development – from emergency aid and hunger alleviation to education, housing, and economic empowerment. We follow a distinctive approach that integrates faith, multi-sector strategies, and trusted partnerships. Whenever possible, we strive to work at the community level, partnering with local leaders and residents to co-create sustainable solutions that address the multi-dimensional nature of poverty. For more information, please visit foodforthepoor.org.
Ernestine Williams
Communications
305-321-7342
[email protected]
