Rebeca and the Compasión Púrpura Foundation
Rebeca was diagnosed with focal refractory epilepsy of structural
origin and, at the age of 7, underwent surgery to remove 20% of her damaged
brain. Aware of her blessing, at 11 years old, she decided to help other
children with epilepsy in El Salvador, leading to the creation of the Compasión
Púrpura Foundation.
Rebeca has had a prominent presence
at international events, representing El Salvador at the Annual
AES Meeting in Orlando, Florida. She was invited to open the main event,
attended by around 3000 professionals, including neurologists, neurosurgeons,
epileptologists, and more. Her presentations, “My Epilepsy Story” and
“Clinical Course and Surgery Moment,” received standing ovations from the
audience, highlighting her foundation's work.
Rebeca’s positive impact has led to the following accomplishments:
- Donations from Invitae: Genetic tests valued at $2,500 each.
- Medication Donations: Anti-convulsives from OWP Pharmaceuticals every six months
- Equipment Donations: EEG machines and servers from Neurotech.
- Training: One-year EEG training for two technicians at Neurotech.
- Educational Material: Epilepsy education materials in Spanish from IBE Mexico.
- Medical Visits: Annual visits from a neurosurgeon and a pediatric neurologist from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital to perform surgeries in San Salvador and San Miguel.
The Foundation also organizes outdoor events, such as The First Purple Race:
Uniting Steps for a Cause, held on June 18, 2023. Thanks to the efforts and generosity of
sponsors and participants, the race was a great success, demonstrating that compassion and collective action can transform lives.
Thanks to the community’s generosity and the success of the First Purple Race,
we were able to fund a life-changing surgery for Josué Rodríguez, a brave 5-year-old
warrior battling Refractory Epilepsy. The cutting-edge surgical intervention at the
Hospital de Diagnóstico has given him a new lease on life.
