Very Sad News from Javiera

I got a CP letter from Javiera in Chile last Saturday and I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since. The letter had some very distressing news in it. Javiera writes,
"Dear Sponsor Ms. Nicole A,
I hope you are well. I'm in good health over here but a bit sad. I want to tell you now that in September I will turn 11 years old and I really like animals, cats, dogs and I still play with dolls and I like with my grandparents, siblings and my dad. We're 5 siblings but my younger brother suffered from a deceased (leukemia) and he's in heaven now. I'm sad but happy because he's no longer in pain."
There was a bit more to the letter, but that's the part that just reached in and ripped my heart into little bits. CI was able to give me a little more information about Javiera's brother: his name was Cristobel and he just passed away in August 2010. Two months ago. I cannot even imagine how much pain this family must be in. To lose a son, a grandson, a brother...it's just so tragic. He couldn't have been more than 10 years old, either.
I had just sent Javiera a "normal" letter about 10 days before I received this news. CI encourages sponsors to write no more than once a month to avoid overwhelming the child and the translators, but I decided that letting Javiera know that I'm here for her is more important than sticking hard-and-fast to that rule. I wrote her a letter online, so it'll get there faster, and I told her how sorry I was and that I would listen if she wanted to talk about her brother more, but if she didn't want to that was okay too. I basically just tried to be supportive and let her know I am here, I'm a friend, she can talk to me.
I also asked CI to check on her emotional well-being, and to put together a special needs report. It's kind of like bringing a pie or a casserole to someone after a funeral...it's a gesture of love and support. I'm sure there are things they need, and since I can't exactly send a casserole to Valparaiso, I'll be happy to send a donation to help them at this very awful time.