I have faced extremely painful circumstances, yet, my faith in God has sustained me. This book is my testament to that. Turning tears into smiles is an art and the secret lies in finding purpose to how we react to what happens to us.
Overcome the past and understand that this does not define your future
And now, here I was . . . ready to fight to make that dream come true. I was ready to bring it to fruition at any cost. God had saved our lives, and I was ready to respond to Him.
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so one day I said to myself: “Vivian, you have to get ahead because life goes on for everyone and you can’t stay behind.
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Find a new perspective of the world and of things
Nothing is impossible for a determined heart, because dreams come true when we have the courage to fight for them.
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I began to look at life differently. My purpose was to talk about hope and light, as I was convinced that human beings can achieve positive things and transform negative events into life-enhancing experiences, in other words, tears into smiles.
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Unlock the power of faith, love and generosity
Every day I would set a goal, every night I would go to bed determined to double-down my efforts to mitigate the pain of thousands of children, that just like I, were feeling the horror of a burn
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On several occasions, these children allowed me to see the spiritual greatness that dwells within them. There is no doubt that pain transforms and magnifies
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Turn dance into a tribute to life
And so, I made a promise . . . I said to God: . . . “My God, if one day I can walk and dance again, I will do it for the children of Nicaragua
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With dance I started a new life, and through it I have promoted and honored both life and love.
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“Child, I will shelter you with my hair. And in the air will I seek a balm that mitigates the pain. And if the fire rages I will quench it with my tears.“
Vivian Pellas knows that every minute counts. Her story is one of a life “baptized by fire” and with her immense faith, not only was she able to overcome death, but she now saves lives and mitigates the suffering of many children in Nicaragua, Central America.
With part of her body red hot from the flames and with multiple fractures, she mumbled: “I’m going to build a center for the burned children of Nicaragua,” she didn’t see herself as a victim, she tried to find the divine plan that God had before her from the foundation of the world. Some hear the calling and act, others hear, and ramble on fleeting things.
PHOTO GALLERY“The mask was my jail. I was trapped, locked in, isolated. It provoked in me a sense of desperation and anxiety.”
APROQUEN a non-profit organization founded as a result of the worst plane crash in Central American aviation on October 21, 1989. Dozens of people died scorched in minutes. Only 11 survived among them Vivian and her husband the businessman Carlos Pellas. As a result of the plane crash Vivian suffered second and third degree burns over her body, her jaw and face were left disfigured. After two years of intense surgeries and rehabilitation in the United States they returned to Nicaragua to create a Pediatric Burn Unit.
YEARS
HEALTH
SERVICES
SURGERIES
OUTPATIENT
VISITS
HOSPITALIZATIONS
REHABILITATION
SESSIONS
In 2010, APROQUEN decides to replicate its integral care model of burned children to patients of cleft lip palate.
Has executed intense training programs in Central America, establishing alliances with international medical organizations like: MEMORIAL HERMANN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, PHYSICIANS FOR PEACE, ReSurge INTERNATIONAL, EDUPLAST, SOS MAIN DU PAYS D’AIX EN PROVENCE Francia, INTERNACIONAL JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL, JACKSON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, GREATER BALTIMORE MEDICAL CENTER, SUNSHINE SOCIAL WELFARE FOUNDATION.
E-mail address: vivianfpellas@aproquen.org