Nineteen years ago, against all odds, a little girl’s life was about to change forever. Six-year-old Marcela Betanco arrived at the Mission Lazarus Refuge Children’s Home in Honduras with her three siblings. In her short life, Marcela had already endured more than most people will face in a lifetime.

In the quiet hills of La Laguna, Honduras, a 62-year-old farmer named Jose Corrales spent his days planting maize and beans—just enough to feed his family. For over 30 years, he and his wife, Candida, raised six children without access to basic sanitation. Like many of their neighbors, they had no latrine. They used the surrounding forest, exposing themselves and their children to serious health risks.