Elder Stevenson Ministers to Children in Chile

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me,” is a message Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared during his visit to Centro Sonrisas de Heroes (Smiles of Heroes Center) on Friday, June 13, 2025, in Santiago, Chile.

This care center serves children with terminal illnesses and complex disabilities through various therapies and programs.

Speaking to the center’s staff, the senior leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said, “We view you as the hands of Jesus Christ Himself. The Lord will bless you because of it.”

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Many of the children use wheelchairs, making transportation a significant challenge for their families. To ease this burden, the Church of Jesus Christ donated two vans to support their mobility needs.

“We don’t have the words to say thank you,” said Camila Tapia, the mother of Esperanza, a young girl who comes to the center. “Thanks to this donation, people like me who live far away will now have better access to the center.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been working with the center for three years. Previous donations include mobile dental equipment to provide critical care and improve oral healthcare, a lift to lower children down into the pool for physical therapy, mats and lockers for the pool, as well as physical therapy beds.

Sandra Corrales, director of the center, expressed deep gratitude to the Church, not just for the physical donations, but for the profound impact of the Saints’ “love, care, and respect — those can’t be bought.” She said she hopes the collaboration will continue to ensure these children are seen and treated as the “true heroes of Chile.”

“The goal is for your Church and our foundation to embrace them, care for them, protect them, and let them know they are not alone,” she said.

Wade Katchner and his wife, Vicky, who serve as humanitarian missionaries for the Church in Chile, work closely with this center and know these children are special to Jesus Christ.

“This is what Christ would do if He were here. And that's exactly what we believe. If He were here today, He would have been here with Sandra, and He would have been hugging and kissing and laughing and joking with those children, just like she was,” said Wade Katchner.

“We truly want to do as He has asked us to do to succor the weak, to lift up the hands that hang down, and to strengthen the feeble knees. And this is the good work that's being done in that center,” said Elder Stevenson.

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How the Center Started

Corrales shared a deeply personal journey that led her to dedicate her life to these children. Once a high-level athlete, Sandra’s path changed after recurring dreams about a child in a hospital bed. She went to a hospital to donate her medals, where she was asked to give her last, most cherished one to a 5-year-old boy in the ICU with only 24 hours to live.

“When I entered the room, I saw the boy from my dreams. He was dying,” Sandra recalled. She placed the medal beside him, touched his forehead, and whispered, “Fight.” As she left, the boy, named Albán, full of tubes and wearing the medal, sat up and declared, “I’m a champion. You are athletes for a dream.”

That moment transformed Sandra’s life. “Albán Guerrero created the foundation—not me,” she said, explaining that he inspired her to dedicate herself to children who “have no voice.” Over the years, she has supported hundreds of children, often without state or family assistance, becoming a source of care, comfort, and even arranging funerals. She expanded services to include dental care and built a therapeutic pool, ensuring these children receive vital support.

Sandra emphasizes that these aren’t “sick children—they are children. Children with dreams, with life, with smiles, and with families.” She sees them as “superheroes,” which is why the center is named “Sonrisas de Heroes” (Smiles of Heroes).

The donated vans from the Church are critical to continuing this mission, she said.

“The van means reaching their homes,” Sandra explained, highlighting the lack of accessible transportation for these vulnerable children. “The vans provide a way for these children to continue being children — though it takes extra effort.”