Providing life-changing surgical care to children worldwide. Mending Kids is a GuideStar Exchange Gold Participant. See more awards.
Mending Kids: Missions
Mission: 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 This Mending Kids ARM mission to Mwanza will take place from October 28-November 5, 2016 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. Goals Short term: 1. Mend a dozen children requiring complex surgeries to help Sister Dr. Massenga gain more skills and confidence. 2. Train nurses on bowel management and post-operative care for their patients. Intermediate term: Collaborate with other mission teams to have a steady flow of surgeons travel to the Bugando Medical Center throughout the year to keep up the doctors' training. This will not only empower Sister Dr. Massenga but also encourage the Bugando Medical Center to allocate more funds for pediatric congenital colorectal care. Long term: Establish a successful colorectal program in Tanzania so that children from all over the country and region can be referred there for safe, life-changing 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 $1000 to hold your spot.
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, we sent two separate ENT missions there to provide specialized surgical care to the most underserved segment of the population. Currently in Guatemala City, there are only 4 ENT surgeons, making it very difficult to see these specialists. In July 2015, we sent a joint ENT and Plastics mission, led by otolaryngologists Dr. Ayal Willner and Dr. Nina Yoshpe of Miller’s Children’s Hospital in Long Beach and Dr. McCoy “Mac” Moretz of F.A.C.E. of Beverly Hills. These surgeons mended 105 children in just one week! In November 2016, 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 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.
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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