- State-of-the art care for children with cancer or rare diseases is not available in all countries. Owing to the proximity of Latin America and the growing numbers of Latinos already in the United States, many international patients receiving specialized medical care in U.S. hospitals are from Spanish-speaking countries. Although there are benefits associated with obtaining specialized care in the United States, linguistic barriers and cultural differences as well as the general stresses of caring for a child with a serious illness may affect families ability to obtain adequate care for their children. Researchers are interested in exploring the experiences and needs of international Latino families receiving medical care for their child in the United States in order to help health care centers provide more appropriate resources and improve the overall quality of culturally sensitive care.