When Mrs. Maribel Pérez Vargas came to my office last year to ask for help because she needed a lung transplant, we could not help her immediately because we had a waiting list of several people who needed urgent attention - we had 3 kidney patients and one needing a bone marrow transplant.

Even though we have not yet finished helping them, they continue to struggle to survive with firm hope in prayer and that God will grant them healing. But in the case of Mrs Maribel Pérez, a 35-year old Peruvian mother of two children ages 9 and 11, it is urgent for us to come together.

All of us should unite to save her life since the doctors have said that if a lung transplant is not performed soon, she will die and her days are numbered. Maribel has pulmonary cystic fibrosis that was diagnosed in 2006 and ever since that date she has fought to get an operation. At the moment she is an inpatient at The Specialty Hospital of Washington.

Dr. Mark Gladwin of the University of Pittsburgh Hospital, a lung specialist, has decided to take the case and will operate if we can raise $80,000 since she is undocumented and her medical insurance doesn't cover transplants.

With tears in her eyes and hugging her children, she says that she has faith in God and the Virgin Mary and that with the help of the community she will be saved. She has not lost hope even though it is difficult for her to communicate with others because she is intubated and breathes through a respirator.

The Peruvian consulate and MAPAVI have organized a campaign to save this mother's life. We are asking the public to send donations to P.O. Box 8523, Falls Church VA 22041.

Checks can be made payable to "MAPAVI-Maribel Pérez" or deposited in Chevy Chase Bank account No. 0954382064.

Now more than ever, as we are experiencing an economic crisis, we should make an effort to help in those adverse moments when fate shakes us pitilessly. Thank you and God bless you.