Programs
Bank of Medications
The Monthly Medication Bank program is one of the most prominent initiatives of the Fundación Luces Panamá. This program plays a vital role in supporting over 1,400 families nationwide, many of them on a recurring basis, ensuring that children and adolescents living with epilepsy in all provinces of Panama have access to the medications they need for their treatment. The Foundation seeks mechanisms to facilitate access to appropriate medications for patients, primarily those receiving care at the Children’s Hospital. In this way, the Foundation helps maintain the stability of these children’s lives, allowing them to better participate in their daily activities and reducing school absenteeism.
Education and Awareness Program
The Education and Awareness Program of Fundación Luces Panamá promotes an informed, inclusive, and empathetic society for people living with epilepsy and other neurological conditions. We are dedicated to breaking down myths, reducing stigma, and ensuring that every child and adolescent can learn and develop on equal terms.
As part of this commitment, we offer free talks in schools, businesses, and organizations throughout the country on epilepsy, first aid in the event of a seizure, inclusion, and other related topics. We believe that education is transformative, and that is why we bring practical knowledge to communities to build safer, more informed, and more supportive environments.
In Panama, many students with epilepsy attend regular classrooms without receiving the necessary accommodations because they are not always recognized as students with disabilities, even though they have special educational needs. Our Inclusive Classrooms program provides free training to teachers and school staff to identify needs, implement adjustments, and create inclusive and respectful learning spaces. When a teacher is prepared, a student has the opportunity to shine.
We also offer talks to companies and professional associations, promoting empathy, understanding, and respect for people with epilepsy, and fostering more conscious and inclusive work and social environments.
At Fundación Luces Panamá, we firmly believe that education is transformation. With each talk, we sow light, break down barriers, and open doors to a more supportive, just, and inclusive country.
Request your free talk, and we’ll coordinate with you to bring knowledge and awareness to your school, company, or organization.
Mental Health and Family Wellbeing Program
The Mental Health and Family Wellbeing Program of Fundación Luces Panamá is designed to support, strengthen, and provide emotional tools to patients with epilepsy and their families. We recognize that the diagnosis and management of this condition can generate anxiety, stress, doubts, and daily challenges; therefore, we promote spaces for support, guidance, and human connection that strengthen resilience, emotional health, and quality of life.
Psychology
We offer free psychological counseling for patients and their families, providing professional care focused on emotional support, crisis management, development of coping skills, and strengthening family dynamics.
Support Groups
We hold thematic support groups where families and caregivers can share experiences, receive guidance, and feel supported by others facing similar situations, promoting mutual support and building solidarity networks.
Family Gatherings
We organize family gatherings in different regions of the country, recreational spaces where families can enjoy themselves freely, without fear of judgment or discrimination. These gatherings strengthen the community and allow children and young people to experience safe and respectful leisure activities.
Conferences and Talks for Patients
We invite doctors and specialists to offer educational conferences and workshops, providing up-to-date information and practical tools that patients and their families can apply in their daily lives to improve their well-being, autonomy, and quality of life.
Celebrate and Share
Through our Celebrate and Share program, generous individuals choose to transform special moments—such as birthdays, baby showers, weddings, or other celebrations—into opportunities to help. Instead of receiving gifts, they invite family and friends to support a cause or family that benefits from the Foundation. Donors can see the real needs and set a fundraising goal, turning their celebrations into acts of love and transformation.
EPILEPSY SURGERY PROGRAM
This program offers a chance at life to children with severe epilepsy who can benefit from specialized surgical interventions. Epilepsy surgery is an option for patients who, despite multiple pharmacological treatments, continue to experience difficult-to-control seizures, affecting their development and quality of life.
We work closely with the medical team at the Children’s Hospital to carefully evaluate each candidate, offering comprehensive support throughout the entire process. The children selected typically present with well-defined brain lesions or refractory epilepsies that do not respond to conventional treatments, resulting in recurrent seizures and a risk of progressive neurological damage.
The goal of these surgeries is to eliminate or significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of seizures, allowing children to regain their ability to perform daily activities, improve their cognitive and emotional development, and achieve better family, school, and social integration.
Thanks to this program, many patients have found a new opportunity to grow, learn and develop their potential, thus contributing to transforming lives and strengthening the future of our children.
REGIONAL CENTER – SANTIAGO
With the opening of our Regional Center in Santiago, Fundación Luces Panamá reaffirms its commitment to being closer to the families who need it most. This center was created to bring medical services and comprehensive support to the provinces in the interior of the country, where access to specialized care is often limited or nonexistent.
Santiago is now a strategic location for serving children and adolescents from Veraguas, Chiriquí, Los Santos, and Herrera, regions where many families face economic, geographic, and social barriers that hinder timely access to neurological care. This has left numerous patients without adequate medical follow-up for extended periods, jeopardizing their health, development, and well-being.
Our regional center will implement:
• Specialized medical tours with pediatric neurologists—including international specialists—to provide care to patients who have gone more than a year without a medical evaluation due to lack of resources or distance.
• Home-based physiotherapy program, designed to support children with epilepsy and neurodevelopmental conditions, providing in-home therapy for those unable to travel.
Through this initiative, we aim to reduce healthcare access gaps, prevent complications, improve quality of life, and offer new development opportunities to children in rural areas and their families.
