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Providing life-changing surgical care to children worldwide. Mending Kids is a GuideStar Exchange Gold Participant. See more awards.
Mending Kids: Missions
Mission: Ethiopia
Mission Brief
Where in the World Bordered by Eritrea to the north, Somalia and Djibouti to the east and Sudan and South Sudan to the west, Ethiopia is believed to be the birthplace of man and where, Lucy, the oldest human fossil, was found. More importantly, Ethiopia is a country of nearly 85 million without any comprehensive heart care program. This is a land where 1 in 100 children suffer from some form of congenital heart defect. In Ethiopia, there are physicians capable of diagnosing basic heart problems in children, but unlike any major city in the U.S. and Europe, there is absolutely no congenital heart program. There are only 19 anesthesiologists in the entire country. The vast majority of children with heart problems in Ethiopia have no hope to live anything close to a normal life, and are destined to live a shortened life punctuated by repetitive illnesses. Healthcare in Ethiopia Although urban areas of Ethiopia have hospitals with full-time staff and physicians, 4/5 of Ethiopians live in rural areas and lack access to healthcare facilities. There is less than 1 physician for every 10,000 people. Besides a shortage of infrastructure and personnel, the population suffers from a wide range of health problems, largely due to preventable and communicable diseases, as well as nutritional disorders. The infant mortality rate is very high, standing at 77 per 1,000 live births. The Children Ethiopia is a country of nearly 85 million people with 4 out of 5 Ethiopians live in rural areas and lack access to healthcare facilities. There are physicians capable of diagnosing basic heart problems in children, but unlike any major city in the U.S. and Europe, there is absolutely no congenital heart program as there are less than 1 physician for every 10,000 people. In Ethiopia, 1 in 100 children suffer from some form of congenital heart defect and have no hope to live anything close to a normal life, destined to live a shortened life punctuated by repetitive illnesses. These children require surgery, whether it is an open-heart surgery or an interventional catheterization at some point in their early life, to correct the defect and allow them to live a normal life. The children we hope to mend will be arriving from all over Ethiopia and come from very poor families with little education and no other options. The Mission The Mending Kids Cardiac/Cath Surgical Mission to Ethiopia began in 2011 and takes place at the Black Lion Hospital, also known as Tikur Anbessa Hospital, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with collaboration with the surgical team from Star Hospital in Hyderabad, India. This mission to Ethiopia is led by U.S. pediatric interventional cardiology surgeons Dr. Timothy W. Casarez and Dr. David A. Ferry of CHLA, and by Indian pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. Gopichand Mannam. Progress and Goals Mending Kids first two missions were strictly about open-heart surgeries. In 2015, we added an interventional cardiology component to the mission to provide mentorship in the Catheterization Lab. Our goal is to continue the training in pediatric interventional cardiology, open-heart surgery and anesthesiology, so that the local medical staff may gain the confidence to do these procedures without needing international missions to assist them. Interested Volunteers Non-surgical team volunteers are currently being recruited for this mission. If you are interested in volunteering, review our FAQ section (click the Get Involved tab, then Mission Volunteer button) and then contact molly@mendingkids.org. The team fee for this mission is $5000 and will require a deposit of $500 to hold your spot. Donations Mend the heart of a child by donating today to Ethiopian children suffering from congenital heart defects. Your support aids our team in training local surgeons and providing advance surgical care.
Learn MoreMission: Armenia
Mission Brief
The Need While malnutrition happens to be one of the leading challenges in Armenia, most of the Armenian population continues to not have access to healthcare. Outside organizations, such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF have worked tirelessly to improve the current healthcare system for children, but economic crises still leaves 41.9% of children in Armenia currently live in poverty. The situation is worse for children with disabilities, including their families, with 65% living in poverty. Access to any specialized surgeries are centered in the capital, Yerevan, which makes access to care challenging for poor families living in rural parts of the country. The Mission Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Andre Panossian travels to Armenia with his colleague Dr. Rady Rahban to work with local plastic surgeons in the capital in an exchange of knowledge to provide instruction on the latest surgical techniques. The mission focuses on highly subspecialized reconstructive plastic surgery, specifically for facial reanimation and treatment of neurofibromatosis. Additional training in the classroom environment is also performed to highlight facial reanimation. Progress and Goals Dr. Panossian is planning instructional lectures via skype to review techniques from previous trips with the goal of increasing the numbers of patients treated and providing an advanced educational lecture experience. Much of the infrastructure is already in place, which is why continuing to advance this site is much more productive rather than spreading our attention to additional locations. Our goal remains to travel to Yerevan annually, in order to work toward promoting the capital as a regional center of excellence in reconstructive care. Interested Volunteers Non-surgical team volunteers are currently being recruited for this mission. If you are interested in volunteering, review our FAQ section (click the Get Involved tab, then Mission Volunteer button) and then contact molly@mendingkids.org. The team fee for this mission is $4000 and will require a deposit of $500 to hold your spot. Donations Bring a smile to a child by donating to help our children of Armenia receive reconstructive plastic surgery for facial reanimation and treatment of neurofibromatosis.
Learn MoreMission: Guatemala
Mission Brief
Where in the World Guatemala is located in Central America and is one of the poorest countries in all of Latin America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north and El Salvador and Honduras to the south. Guatemala has a population of 15,824,463 people, 56.2% of which live below the national poverty line. 36% of the entire population are children below the age of 14. 40.5% of the population is made up by the indigenous community, facing harsh socioeconomic inequalities to this day. Healthcare in Guatemala Guatemala has some of the highest infant mortality rate and lowest life expectancies in the Central American region. Many Guatemalans lack access to healthcare services, as there are currently only 16,000 physicians for the entire population. The Children Our young patients come from all over Guatemala, some enduring long walks out of their mountain villages to reach roads in order to get rides into the capital and the Moore Pediatric Center. Current research has not yet confirmed why so many Guatemalan children have congenital birth defects, but suspicions lie in some genetic corn strains that block the absorption of folic acid. Unmet surgical care can contribute to the various diseases children die young from, and better perioperative care for those who are lucky enough to receive surgeries could improve the overall survival rate of these children. The Mission The Mending Kids mission to Guatemala each year is a shining example of our on-going commitment to provide life-changing and life-saving help to the children of a nation still recovering from a civil war nearly 20 years ago and a country where nearly half of its population is under the age of 18. In 2014, Mending Kids deployed two ENT missions to Guatemala City, the following year, Mending Kids deployed a multi-specialized team of ENT and Plastics surgeons, led by otolaryngologists Dr. Ayal Willner, Dr. Nina Yoshpe and Dr. McCoy “Mac” Moretz of F.A.C.E. of Beverly Hills. These surgeons and their dedicated team mended 105 children in just one week! This was largest number of surgeries ever performed at The Moore Pediatric Surgery Center in one week and the largest number of surgeries performed on any Mending Kids mission. In November 2016, the team returned to again provide 102 children with life-changing and life-saving ENT corrective surgery. In July and October 2017, we will send two more missions to continue providing life-changing and life-saving surgeries for children in need of these procedures. Goals To expand the clinical training of on-site providers, to create partnerships with satellite clinics to enhance pre-op and post-op care, to expand the scope to include higher complexity surgical cases such as congenital anomalies, and to continue the training until self-sustainment has been established without the need for assistance from missions such as ours. Interested Volunteers Non-surgical team volunteers are currently being recruited for this mission. If you are interested in volunteering, review our FAQ section (click the Get Involved tab, then Mission Volunteer button) and then contact molly@mendingkids.org. The team fee for this mission is $3000 and will require a deposit of $500 to hold your spot. Donations Join our team by donating now to help kids in Guatemala receive specialty care for much needed Ear, Nose and Throat surgery.
Learn MoreMission: United States
Mission Brief
The Need In Los Angeles, thousands of children live below the poverty line and are denied insurance coverage for non-life-threatening physical deformities that are considered “cosmetic” issues under state programs. Many families who do have insurance coverage for their children are still unable to afford the deductible required of them. Children living with these conditions have no options for healthcare coverage or governmental medical aid, and are therefore vulnerable to a life of bullying, shame, and embarrassment. This deprives children of their opportunity to thrive, develop self-confidence, and unfold their full potentials. The Mission Established in 2013 as a response to the growing need of basic surgical care in the most impoverished communities in Los Angeles, the Mending Kids Hometown Mission aims to give a second chance to these underserved children who lack insurance or who have been denied coverage for the treatment they need. Mending Kids is committed to providing all surgical interventions completely free of charge to these patients. Our team is comprised of volunteer medical personnel and board certified pediatric surgeons of various specialties, ranging anywhere from orthopedic, plastic & reconstructive, ENT, urology, and general surgeries. This is the 5th annual Mending Kids mission of its kind, and will take place in July 2017 with the goal of mending 20 kids with outpatient procedures. The date of this mission is not yet finalized. Sustainability Mending Kids is committed to the growth of the Hometown Mission and has thus formed a partnership with the Specialty Surgical Center. This partnership will foster access to even more underserved communities all over Southern California and the United States. Mending Kids is also forging strong corporate partnerships that will help cover major transportation and medical expenses, in order to guarantee that the children receive the best possible care from the top specialists in the their fields. Mending Kids hopes to have several Hometown Missions throughout the coming years and in various regions of the United States. Donations Join our team by donating today in support of Mending Kids’ efforts to help children live longer, stronger lives.
Learn MoreMission: Peru
Mission Brief
Where in the World Peru is located in western South America and is bordered by Ecuador and Columbia to the north, Brazil to the east, Bolivia to the southeast, Chile to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is a country rich in cultural, ethnic, linguistic, socioeconomic, and geographic diversity. Iquitos is the largest city in the world without access by road. A port city located in the Peruvian rainforest, it is the gateway to all the tribal villages and lodges of this northern part of the Amazon. Healthcare in Peru Peru is one of the world’s fastest growing economies and is classified as an upper middle income country by the World Bank. Despite this economic growth, it is still a developing country with a poverty level of 26%. Almost 40% of children in the country are living below the poverty line. The government offers universal healthcare coverage, however funds are not enough to cover the entire population. Only 50% of Peruvians with chronic health issues receive any sort of treatment. The Mission For the last three years, Dr. Vincent Duron of Children’s Hospital of New York - Columbia University, has been returning to Iquitos on a bi-annual basis to assist the general and pediatric surgeons with pediatric surgical care. At present there is a young pediatric surgeon, Dr. Alex Ponce, who has just graduated from training. The training in Peru for pediatric surgery is only 3 years compared to the US training of 8-9 years. As such, young pediatric surgeons are not equipped to handle complex cases and usually remain under the mentorship of a senior surgeon for assistance in complicated cases during the first several years of their career. As Dr. Ponce has no such assistance, many complicated cases still get referred out to Lima. Compounding this, most families in Iquitos have limited resources, they often cannot afford the trip to Lima and so return to their homes with no care for the infant or child. There is also minimal knowledge or resources for pediatric laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery in Iquitos. Progress and Goals The objective of this health intervention project is to provide pediatric surgical care to the infants and children of the Loreto region through direct operative intervention and training of local pediatric surgical providers. We hope that the care provided will be sustained through training local surgeons in surgical technique and clinical decision-Making with the goal of creating a sustainable surgical care program in Iquitos, Peru and gathering the all the data to create a Trauma Registry. Interested Volunteers The dates of this mission are not yet finalized. Although this mission was completed earlier this year, we would love to have you join us on a future mission. If you are interested in volunteering, review our FAQ section (click the Get Involved tab, then Mission Volunteer button) and then contact molly@mendingkids.org. The team fee for this mission is $4000 and will require a deposit of $500 to hold your spot. Donations Join our team by donating today in support of Mending Kids’ efforts to help Peruvian children live longer, stronger lives.
Learn MoreMission: Mozambique
Mission Brief
Where in the World Mozambique is located northeast of South Africa on the Indian Ocean. It is a nation of 21 Million people, 14 million of which are children. A former Portuguese colony, the nation gained its independence in 1975. As a result, the majority of the Portuguese population suddenly deserted the country, erasing public service and infrastructure. Once a destination for wealthy South African travelers and globetrotters, and known for its breathtaking coastline, Mozambique fell into a civil war between 1977 and 1992. A million lives were lost and this beautiful country was devastated. For over twenty years, Mozambique has been struggling to rebuild its infrastructure and replenish the ranks of medical and educational professionals. To complicate things, the recent discoveries of vast natural gas fields has infused the nation with enormous amounts of cash, none of which seems to be immediately earmarked for pediatric health care. However, Mozambique is determined to regain a care system, and so Mending Kids is working to train the few native doctors in Maputo. The Children Acute burn wounds are the seventh leading pediatric cause of death in Mozambique (AIDS and Tuberculosis being the top two). Catastrophic accidents with children commonly occur in the home due to families cooking indoors with open fires, unstable propane burners, or burning trash in close quarters; resulting in massive scalding and third degree burn wounds to children in close proximity. Due to inadequate access to health services, essential medicines, and a shortage of health professionals trained in wound management, children may go untreated for weeks, even months. Current burn surgeries offered in Mozambique often lead to amputation rather than reconstruction, due to traumatic disfigurement, scar-tissue buildup, and mobility restricting ligatures, with no relief in sight. The Mission The first Mending Kids surgical mission was deployed to Mozambique in 2011, in the country’s capital of Maputo. Taking place at the Hospital Central de Maputo (HCM) and in collaboration with Dr. Celma Issufo (the first pediatric plastic surgeon in the country) this mission took the first steps toward building a long-term relationship for imparting safe surgical skills and post-operative wound management in order for Mozambican medical professionals to provide for their patients. Under the on-going leadership of Dr. David Kulber from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, his Mending Kids team provides, pediatric surgical training in plastic and burn reconstructive techniques. To hear about the Mending Kids Mozambique Mission from Dr. Kulber himself and how he is using Google Glass technology to improve surgical care abroad, follow this link to The Doctors show: http://thedoctorstv.com/videos/google-glass-for-virtually-guided-surgery This is the first ever surgical mission that anyone has ever used Google Glass for, and we are proud to use them to better the medical practices in developing countries. Progress and Goals Mending Kids strives to establish self-sustainment in burn treatment and management at HCM while making more complex surgeries available to children. Training local hospital staff in post-operative care for children and wound care management for burns is a paramount goal for reducing infection during recovery and increasing patient recovery times. Mending Kids partnered with ReSurge International in 2016 with the goal of sending surgical missions multiple times a year to provide continuous, shoulder-to-shoulder surgical training for Dr. Issufo and her team of surgeons. In addition to contributing teachings to hospital staff in the ICU and recovery ward about post-operative care, wound care management, and physical therapy for burn victims. Interested Volunteers Non-surgical team volunteers are limited as this is a Micro-Team Mission, and there is currently a waiting list. If you are interested in volunteering, review our FAQ section (click the Get Involved tab, then Mission Volunteer button) and then contact molly@mendingkids.org. The team fee for this mission is $5000 and will require a deposit of $500 to hold your spot. Donations Donate today to support our team’s work providing plastic and burn surgical care for the children of Mozambique. Publications Karan A, Amado V, Vitorino P, Kulber D, Taela A, DeUgarte DA. Evaluating the socioeconomic and cultural factors associated with pediatric burn injuries in Maputo, Mozambique. Aug 2015. Pediatric Surgery International.
Learn MoreMission: Tanzania
Mission Brief
Where in the World Tanzania is located in the eastern region of Africa. It is bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, and the Republic of Congo to the west; and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the South. The population of Tanzania is about 47.4 million and 45% of the population are children between the ages of 0-14. The population distribution of Tanzania is extremely uneven with most people living on the northern border or eastern coast. Many Tanzanians live on an equivalent of less than a dollar a day. Healthcare in Tanzania Healthcare in Tanzania is not accessible to the entire population. It is only available to those who have income. Health insurance has only been recently introduced, but it is very limited and does not attend to the needs of the majority of Tanzanians, particularly those outside of urban areas. For a population of almost 50 million people, there are only approximately 800 qualified doctors in entire the country. This patient to doctor ratio is among the worst in all of Africa. The Children According to UNICEF, the under-five mortality rate in Tanzania is strikingly high at 81 deaths per 1,000 live births. The infant mortality rate is 51 per 1,000 live births. Tanzania is making considerable progress in the reduction of child mortality due to the government’s commitment to increase use of key health interventions. These include sustained high coverage of under-five immunizations, Vitamin A supplementation, insecticide treated bed nets, and better treatment for malaria. Tanzania has a high prevalence of congenital heart diseases. In a research study conducted at the Bugando Medical Center between October 2012 and January 2013, 29% of infants enrolled in the study had high prevalence of congenital anomalies. This Mending Kids mission will provide both open-heart surgeries and training in order to create a sustainable program for the cardiac needs of children in Tanzania. The Mission This Mending Kids cardiac/cath mission to Tanzania will take place from September 8-19, 2016 in collaboration with the surgical team from Bambino Gesù Ospedale Pediatrico in Italy and the Muhimbili Hospital in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. This mission will be led by pediatric cardiac surgeon, Dr. Salvatore (Sasha) Agati, and by pediatric interventional cardiologist, Dr. Evan Zahn. The goal is to provide life-saving open-heart surgeries for up to 15 kids and interventional procedures for 20 kids, including training for local cardiac surgeon, Dr. Godwin Sharau, who just completed five years of training in Israel. Dr. Sharau is the first Tanzanian surgeon to focus solely on pediatric cardiac surgery. Goals Since 2015, Mending Kids has worked with Dr. Sharau and his team at JKCI, to screen and diagnose hundreds of children, while providing over 80 life-changing procedures. These mission support Dr. Sharau with a safety net of expert surgeons, for him to operate on increasingly complex cases. The team performed the first Truncus case in Tanzania, between the 2016 mission visit, Dr. Sharau and JKCI provided over 100 life-saving surgeries to children without assistance of Mission teams; slowly increasing their capacity and build goals. Striving to be more impactful, Mending Kids is partnering with Australian based, Open Hearts International and Israeli based, Save A Child's Heart to deploy additional missions year round for years to come. This partnership not only empowers Dr. Sharau but also encourages the Ministry of Health in Tanzania to allocate additional funds for pediatric cardiac care at JKCI as it takes greater strides to become a Center of Excellence for the region. This leads to not only providing safe surgeries for Tanzanian children, but to helping children from neighboring East-African countries gain access to surgical care as well. During these missions, MK has helped children from Uganda, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Please join us from October 1-15, 2017 to help us reach our goals! Interested Volunteers Non-surgical team volunteers are currently being recruited for this mission. If you are interested in volunteering, review our FAQ section (click the Get Involved tab, then Mission Volunteer button) and then contact molly@mendingkids.org. The team fee for this mission is $5000 and will require a deposit of $500 to hold your spot. Donations Make a difference and donate now to mend the heart of a child waiting for surgery in Tanzania.
Learn MoreMission: Guatemala
Mission Brief
Where in the World Guatemala is located in Central America and is one of the poorest countries in all of Latin America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north and El Salvador and Honduras to the south. Guatemala has a population of 15,824,463 people, 56.2% of which live below the national poverty line. 36% of the entire population are children below the age of 14. 40.5% of the population is made up by the indigenous community, facing harsh socioeconomic inequalities to this day. Healthcare in Guatemala Guatemala has some of the highest infant mortality rate and lowest life expectancies in the Central American region. Many Guatemalans lack access to healthcare services, as there are currently only 16,000 physicians for the entire population. The Children Our young patients come from all over Guatemala, some enduring long walks out of their mountain villages to reach roads in order to get rides into the capital and the Moore Pediatric Center. Current research has not yet confirmed why so many Guatemalan children have congenital birth defects, but suspicions lie in some genetic corn strains that block the absorption of folic acid. Unmet surgical care can contribute to the various diseases children die young from, and better perioperative care for those who are lucky enough to receive surgeries could improve the overall survival rate of these children. The Mission The Mending Kids mission to Guatemala each year is a shining example of our on-going commitment to provide life-changing and life-saving help to the children of a nation still recovering from a civil war nearly 20 years ago and a country where nearly half of its population is under the age of 18. In 2014, Mending Kids deployed two ENT missions to Guatemala City, the following year, Mending Kids deployed a multi-specialized team of ENT and Plastics surgeons, led by otolaryngologists Dr. Ayal Willner, Dr. Nina Yoshpe and Dr. McCoy “Mac” Moretz of F.A.C.E. of Beverly Hills. These surgeons and their dedicated team mended 105 children in just one week! This was largest number of surgeries ever performed at The Moore Pediatric Surgery Center in one week and the largest number of surgeries performed on any Mending Kids mission. In November 2016, the team returned to again provide 102 children with life-changing and life-saving ENT corrective surgery. In October 2017, we will send another mission to continue providing life-changing and life-saving surgeries for children in need of these procedures. Goals To expand the clinical training of on-site providers, to create partnerships with satellite clinics to enhance pre-op and post-op care, to expand the scope to include higher complexity surgical cases such as congenital anomalies, and to continue the training until self-sustainment has been established without the need for assistance from missions such as ours. Interested Volunteers Beginning in 2016, we have formatted this mission to accommodate large groups. For October 2017, this mission is currently reserved. If you have a large group which you would like to have participate in a mission, please contact Molly Hulbert, our Missions Administrator, at molly@mendingkids.org to gain further information. Donations Join our team by donating now to help kids in Guatemala receive specialty care for much needed Ear, Nose and Throat surgery.
Learn MoreMission: China
Mission Brief
Where in the World China is the world’s most populated country, with a population of over 1.35 billion. China houses people of 56 different ethnic groups. About 17% of the population are children under the age of 14 years. Luoyang is located in Central China and is one of the four great ancient capitals of China. It has a population of about 6,500,000 people, most living in urban settings. The city is famous for the Longmen Grottos and its cultivation of peonies. Zhengzhou is near the Yellow River and is the capital of the Hennan province. With 9,568,000 people, this urban area is filled with museums and ancient history. Healthcare in China China’s rapid economic growth has pulled hundreds of millions of people out of poverty since 1978. Currently, 10% of the population lives below the poverty line. As of 2011, 95% of China’s population has basic health insurance coverage and there have been many improvements in health. However, due to the country’s high population density, public health problems such as respiratory illnesses and serious infectious disease outbreaks are an ongoing issue. The Children Every year nearly 900,000 Chinese children are born with congenital anomalies and, according to the Chinese Ministry of Health, birth defect rates have increased across China by 70% from 1996 to 2010. The increase in children born with birth defects also increases the number of children abandoned in Chinese orphanages. Anorectal malformations (ARMs) are one of the most common congenital anomalies seen in China, however research does not yet know why. ARMs occur when a newborn’s anus and rectum (the lower end of the digestive tract) has not developed properly or is sometimes completely absent. A child born with an imperforated anus is considered the worst curse on a family in Chinese culture, one that carries on for generations. The children born with this malformation are far less likely to be adopted by Chinese families than other orphans. The Mission The Mending Kids mission to China is all about hope, love, and mending children’s lives under the leadership of Dr. Phil Frykman and Dr. Keith Kimble of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. This mission exemplifies our ongoing commitment to sustainability by partnering with local surgeons Dr. Zhai Shiwei, the Assistant Professor of Surgery at The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Dr. Yan Jun, Dr. Wang Ying, and Dr. Liu Hong Bo, giving them the opportunity to participate and lead minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures to correct ARMs. Through an exchange of knowledge and experience, Mending Kids participates in Chinese conferences during its missions, utilizing the latest telemedical and live-surgery support, broadcasting several surgeries to young and mid-career pediatric surgeons throughout the region. These conferences draw a large audience of doctor, raising awareness, continuing to build trust culminating in a new declaration by the Chief of Pediatric Surgery, Dr. Yang announcing, "We will no longer council parents of newborns with complex ARMs to take their babies home to die, because we have nothing to offer them. We now know how to repair these conditions and can offer infants not only life-saving procedures, but a good quality of life, thanks to the training your team has provided for us." Mending Kids ARMs patients are all orphans living in the care of Maria’s Big House of Hope (MBHOH) the flagship of Show Hope’s Care Centers located in the city of Luoyang, in the Henan province of China. These children live with colostomies, performed emergently in the first few days of life, to relieve the obstructed colon. Without the ARM corrective surgery by our Mending Kids team, these children have little to no hope of ever being adopted. Progress ince 2011, Mending Kids has transformed the lives of over 70 orphans in Luoyang, China whom otherwise would have remained unadoptable because of their congenital birth defects. As a result of the hard work of our surgical team, 46% of these children have now been adopted into loving families with a chance at a healthy life! As a result of past missions, the Pena stimulator and the new, lower-cost Frykman/Kimble stimulator developed by the Global Pediatric Surgical Technology & Education Project (GP STEP) were created as a tool for muscle stimulation of the anal sphincter, necessary to find the exact point to correct an imperforated anus. This inexpensive, simple tool can be made available to local surgeons in China and aid thousands of children in giving them a chance at a healthier, more active life. The progress of the Mending Kids China mission has steadily increased each year, from training one surgeon in a private operating room, to performing surgeries out of Luoyang First People's Hospital and Luoyang Women’s and Children’s Hospital. 2017 ushers in a new beginning as Mending Kids partners with the Henan Provincial People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou (one of the largest hospitals in the Henan Province) and the Teaching Hospital of Zhengzhou University, allowing our Mending Kids team to provide ARM training to a larger audience of pediatric surgeons and budding medical students. Interested Volunteers The dates for this mission have not been finalized. Non-surgical team volunteers are limited as this is a Micro-Team Mission and there is currently a waiting list. If you are interested in volunteering, review our FAQ section (click the Get Involved tab, then Mission Volunteer button) and then contact molly@mendingkids.org. The team fee for this mission is $4000 and will require a deposit of $500 to hold your spot. Donations Change the world, one child at a time, by donating to our ARM mission to China as we provide surgical care to orphans.
Learn MoreMission: Tanzania
Mission Brief
Where in the World Tanzania is located in the eastern region of Africa. It is bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, and the Republic of Congo to the west; and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the South. The population of Tanzania is about 47.4 million and 45% of the population are children between the ages of 0-14. The population distribution of Tanzania is extremely uneven with most people living on the northern border or eastern coast. Many Tanzanians live on an equivalent of less than a dollar a day. The Mwanza Region is located in northern Tanzania with a population of 2,800,000, the second largest city in Tanzania. The Mwanza Region is occupied by various tribal groups. The region currently has 6 hospitals, led by the Bugando Medical Center. Healthcare in Tanzania Healthcare in Tanzania is not accessible to the entire population. It is only available to those who have income. Health insurance has only been recently introduced, but it is very limited and does not attend to the needs of the majority of Tanzanians, particularly those outside of urban areas. For a population of almost 50 million people, there are only approximately 800 qualified doctors in entire the country. This patient to doctor ratio is among the worst in all of Africa. The Children According to UNICEF, the under-five mortality rate in Tanzania is strikingly high at 81 deaths per 1,000 live births. The infant mortality rate is 51 per 1,000 live births. Tanzania is making considerable progress in the reduction of child mortality due to the government’s commitment to increase use of key health interventions. These include sustained high coverage of under-five immunizations, Vitamin A supplementation, insecticide treated bed nets, and better treatment for malaria. The Mission Anorectal malformations (ARMs) occur when a newborn’s anus and rectum (the lower end of the digestive tract) has not developed properly or is sometimes completely absent. Tanzanian children born with congenital colorectal birth defects or ARMs live out their lives with a colostomy, and due to the cultural belief that the defect is a curse, these children are forced to live in the shadows and in shame. The opportunity for these children to receive ARM surgery gives them a new found hope of leading a healthy, happier life and to attend school in the future. The Mending Kids ARMs Mission team deploys yearly to the city of Mwanza, situated on the shores of Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania. Dr. Jason Frischer of the Colorectal Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, OH, leads a team to the Bugando Medical Center (BMC) a tertiary hospital that serves about 16 million people from the region. The mission imparts critical surgical training skills to nun-surgeon, Sister Alicia Massenga, a general surgeon with a keen interest in pediatric surgery to help the hundreds of children from Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya currently on the waitlist. Goals From its early beginning in the fall of 2015, the decision was made to travel to the BMC with a radiologist in order to teach the local team how to administer colostograms and vital ultrasounds to properly diagnose and interpret the findings. Toshiba generously granted Mending Kids the use of a portable machine which has been a critical tool in the selection of patients. Our team makes greater strides in training local nurses on bowel-prep techniques and postoperative bowel management. Mending Kids has partnered with locally based nonprofits to help track our patients from the rural countryside and provide following-up care. Since the first mission, the Mending Kids team has helped more than 30 children and aided in diagnosing more than 70 to receive the correct treatment. This Mending Kids ARM mission to Mwanza will take place from November 2-13, 2017 in collaboration with the surgical team from the Colorectal Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the Bugando Medical Center. This mission will be led by pediatric surgeon, Dr. Jason Frischer. The goal is to provide life-changing surgeries for up to 15 kids, including training for local surgeon, Sister Dr. Alicia Massenga. There are currently hundreds of children at the center with complex colorectal malformations who are awaiting surgeries. Interested Volunteers Non-surgical team volunteers are currently being recruited for this mission. If you are interested in volunteering, review our FAQ section (click the Get Involved tab, then Mission Volunteer button) and then contact molly@mendingkids.org. The team fee for this mission is $5000 and will require a deposit of $500 to hold your spot. Donations Join our team by donating today in support of Mending Kids’ efforts to help children living with birth defects live longer, stronger lives.
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Our Four Core Programs
Individual Surgical Care — International
Kids with complex cases are provided transportation and are aided by our partner hospitals in India, Israel & Canada.
Overseas Surgical Missions
Surgical teams and volunteers travel to developing countries to perform surgeries and build sustainable programs.
US Hometown Missions
In the span of one day, there are up to 20 free surgeries performed by volunteer surgeons for American Kids.
Individual Surgical Care — US
Kids from outside the United States are flown here for complex surgeries and stay with volunteer host families.
Hospital Partners
Who We Are
Mending Kids provides life-changing surgical care to children worldwide. Over the years, thousands of children have received corrective, transformational surgeries that have given them a chance at longer, healthier and happier lives. Most of the surgeries we perform are to correct congenital heart defects, orthopedic abnormalities, severe scoliosis, and significant cranial facial deformities.Operational Expenses
Words cannot express my feelings nor our thanks for all your help. You are all a blessings to our family. You are all in our hearts forever and we treasured the moment you are there for us in time of our difficulties. My heart feels with joy and happiness that there are kindhearted people like you who value life and a helping hand to those in need and a HUMAN ANGEL to Heinrick's life.
- Heinrick's Mom, Philippines
My heart is so full of joy that l don't even know what to write anymore. God bless you, your team and all those that donate to make this possible.
- Joshua's Dad, Nigeria
Thank you so much and Mending Kids, at large. May God bless you so much for giving my child hope and live a new life as other people.
- Susan's Mom, Uganda