With the blessing of Mgr. Nicola Girasoli, Apostolic Nuncio in Peru, and Mgr. Richard Alarcón, Archbishop of Cusco, the first pediatric cancer hospital in Peru and South America was presented to the national community.
The center that bears the name of «Vidawasi» (house of life), is located precisely in the city of Yanahuara, in the district of Urusco in Cusco.
The «Vidawasi» project is supported by the Holy See. It also has the international support of Sant Joan de Déu Hospital and the Puigvert Foundation in Barcelona, the Teletón Hospital for Children of Oncology in Mexico, the St. Jude Hospital in the United States, among other hospitals and oncology expert centers worldwide
Jesús Dongo and Marina Cano, as well as local authorities, representatives of institutions involved in this work and the general public also attended the ceremony on Saturday 10 August.
During the blessing, the hospital’s administrative and recreational areas were visited, as well as «Vidawasi» city, the central administration building, the medical village, a villa for volunteering, family hostels and a chapel.
Archbishop Girasoli said that «Vidawasi» is a blessing for all Peruvians because it is a work done with the heart and solidarity, where all the little cancer patients will find the tranquility they need thanks to the strategic position of this center in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Jesús Dongo, founder of «Vidawasi», thanked the Catholic Church for being one of the first institutions to open its doors to undertake this project. He also invited the whole country to join this crusade, to be part of this pediatric hospital.
