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Dear Friends, As we begin a new year, we’re grateful for this community, and for the work we continue to do together on behalf of children and families here at home and around the world. We’re also happy to welcome Sara back to the Mending Kids team after her maternity leave. Her return reminds us why our work for children and families matters so deeply. We wanted to share a few words from her as she steps back into this chapter with us. Best, Isabelle Fox Executive Director welcome back, sara!
Dear Friends of Mending Kids, After six months away, I am writing to you with a full heart and a renewed sense of purpose. This past season, I welcomed my second child, a baby girl, into the world. Because of the incredible support I received from Mending Kids, I was given something truly invaluable: time. Time to heal, to bond, to transition into motherhood once again, and to be fully present during those early, irreplaceable months of my daughter’s life. I am deeply grateful for this gift. It is not something I take lightly. As I return to my work, I do so with a heightened awareness that this experience, one rooted in stability, care, and support, is not universally shared. Not all mothers are able to step away without fear of financial strain. Not all families have access to the medical care their children need. And not all children are given the chance to heal, to thrive, or to grow into the fullness of who they are meant to be. This is why Mending Kids’ mission matters so profoundly. Every day, we work to ensure that children around the world receive life-changing surgical care, care that restores health, dignity, and hope. When a child is healed, an entire family is transformed. When a family is supported, a future is rewritten. My own journey into motherhood has only deepened my belief in this work. I see more clearly now how critical compassion, access, and community truly are, and how powerful it is when we come together to protect childhood and support families during their most vulnerable moments. Together, we can mend more than bodies; we can mend lives. With gratitude and purpose, Sara Development Manager save the date - 03.21.2026
Dear Friend, This year, more than 400 children received critical surgical care through Mending Kids. We carried out 22 missions, including our Hometown program, worked alongside over 150 medical volunteers, and logged more than 200,000 miles to reach children who otherwise would not have had access to care. These were children in urgent need of procedures to survive, heal, or live without pain. Along the way, we invested deeply in both care delivery and capacity building. From Guatemala to Hong Kong, our teams provided life-prolonging atrial septostomy training, equipping local providers with skills that will save lives well into the future. In Vietnam, we led a general surgery mission in Nha Trang, carried out by a team of former refugees and children of refugees returning during the 50th anniversary year of the fall of Saigon, a powerful reminder of the deep personal connections our volunteers bring to this work. We also helped strengthen pediatric surgical care in Ghana and advanced colorectal care through work in Paraguay and the East African Colorectal Conference. None of this happens in isolation. Our donors, foundations, corporate partners, host families, and volunteers are the bricks and mortar that holds this work together, allowing our teams to show up where they are needed most and to keep going, mission after mission. Closer to home, we carried out a Hometown mission focused on children with special needs and high sensory challenges who require full sedation just to receive basic dental care. For many families, safe treatment options simply don’t exist. Being able to step in and say yes to these children has been one of the most meaningful parts of our year. We witnessed a few miracles along the way and remain deeply grateful for our longstanding partnerships with the Philippine Heart Center in Manila, Shriners Children’s, and MemorialCare Outpatient Surgical Center Long Beach, whose collaboration and commitment continue to change lives. As we step into 2026 and our 21st year of Mending Kids, our hope is simple: that we keep showing up for one another and for our kids, and that we remember we are not doing this alone. On behalf of the board and staff, we wish you and your loved ones a very happy and healthy New Year. We are deeply grateful to have you along on this journey. Together, we are Mending Kids. With gratitude, Isabelle Fox Executive Director, Mending Kids Join Us on March 21, 2026
At the 9th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery in Hong Kong, we had the chance to offer something that felt both practical and urgent: a hands-on atrial septostomy workshop. With support from MAP International, the Edwards LifeSciences Foundation, and the recently FDA-approved redesigned Miller Balloon, cardiologists were able to learn how to safely perform this life-prolonging procedure at the bedside with guided echo. For babies born with transposition of the great arteries (TGA), this is the difference between having hours to live and having months to reach the surgery they need to survive. Without an atrial septostomy, they simply don’t make it. Dr. Gareth Morgan from Children’s Hospital Colorado led the training, and we brought cardiologists from leading institutions across Africa, Asia, and Australia together for hands-on atrial septostomy training. Instead of traveling to each institution separately, we used the unique opportunity of the pediatric cardiac world gathering under one roof to share skills, exchange knowledge, and send these physicians home with the tools they need, literally to save the next child who arrives in crisis.
This work is part of our Training, Research, and Innovation Program, and, as our final mission of the year, it was one focused entirely on training. The babies who benefit from these interventions will still face the challenges of receiving the surgeries required to repair their congenital heart defects, but now they have the one thing they were previously denied: time. Mending Kids exists to bridge these gaps, build local capacity, and give children a fighting chance. This workshop was one more step in that direction. As we head into 2026, we’re holding these children, and the many still waiting, close in our thoughts. Together, we are mending kids Isabelle Fox Executive Director mark your calendar - 03.21.2026
Twenty years ago today, we became a federally recognized nonprofit. What began by bringing one child at a time to the US for critical surgical care has grown into 210 missions deployed, reaching children from 78 countries and directly touching the lives of nearly 6,000 kids, and indirectly so many more. What is immeasurable is the number of lives affected by the time spent working hand in hand with our partners globally and their determination to build capacity and keep going long after a mission ends. We cannot thank our medical teams, volunteers, and donors enough, who give their time, talent, trust, and resources to carry this mission forward. Little by little, one child, one procedure, one mission at a time, a little becomes a lot. In the words of Arthur Ashe, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Twenty years later, thanks to you, we are still climbing. Together, we are mending kids. Isabelle Fox Executive Director save the date - 03.21.2026
As we pause and catch our breath heading into our most reflective holiday, I’m reminded that somehow, through all the curveballs this year has thrown at us, we’re still here, still showing up for one another, and still fighting for our kids. Our community has been through a lot. Many of you have weathered personal hurdles, and the children we serve continue to push past impossible odds just to access care.
And yet, through all of it, hope has a way of resurfacing. One child at a time, one surgery at a time, one small victory that slowly turns into a brighter future. This is what we’re thankful for today. The chance to wake up tomorrow knowing another child will get the care they need because you held us up and kept them in your hearts. Thank you for being part of this work in such a real and steady way. For caring, for believing, and for lifting our kids toward healthier tomorrows. “We rise by lifting others.” Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy Thanksgiving. With Gratitude, Isabelle Fox Executive Director P.S. Giving Tuesday is right around the corner. If you’re planning to take part, we hope you’ll keep our kids in mind.
Last Saturday, over forty medical volunteers, staff, and board members showed up to provide our first Hometown Dental Surgery Mission for patients with special needs who required full sedation to be treated. This was our tenth hometown mission and our first dental surgery mission. We returned to the MemorialCare Outpatient Surgery Center, which opened its doors to our team. The focus was on special needs patients who had sensory issues, some handicapped, some nonverbal, some wheelchair bound. Some had never received a dental exam, some had waited seven years, and some had aged out. All were championed by their loving families who came from Fresno, Bakersfield, the Inland Empire, Oxnard, and Los Angeles to receive the care. There is nothing spontaneous about getting the patient population we served last Saturday. Between the distances traveled, the multitudes of medications that had to be timed to keep them stable, and braving the rain, it was like threading a needle from fifty feet away. Nevertheless, what a mission it was. Beyond the dedication of this enormous dental team and the grace of the surgical center, we have to thank the California Dental Association for providing the portable equipment, and XDR Radiology for the loan of the technology that allowed us to operate portable X-ray machines to screen dental needs. To Dr Willner for providing all the patients with additional ear, nose, and throat exams, to the nurses and all who participated to give these patients as many services as possible, it was an enormous feat, especially not knowing what would present itself.
Under general anesthesia, the team provided thorough dental exams, a full mouth set of radiographs, thorough cleanings, thirty-six fillings, eleven extractions, phlebotomy services, ear exams, and cleaning for seven patients, a laryngoscopy, and a bronchoscopy for one patient. These numbers represent real people, individuals, and families who have been waiting for care and support. The help provided prevented countless tooth losses, alleviated suffering, and brought joy to those in need. This mission was especially meaningful. These were special needs patients who had been waiting years for care, many of whom had aged out of other options, and to see them finally receive the treatment they needed was powerful for everyone involved. As we head into Thanksgiving, we are especially grateful for everyone who made this possible. Our donors, foundations, partner companies, medical volunteers, and this entire community came together so these kids would not have to keep waiting in pain. We hope to do this again soon, and if you are moved to support a future hometown mission or help mend a child, this is the moment to make a real difference. Wishing you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving. With gratitude, Isabelle Fox Executive Director save the date - 03.21.2026
Former refugees and their children return to Vietnam to provide life-changing surgeries for kids in need. Last month, a Mending Kids team led by general surgeon Dr. Nam Nguyen of Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach departed Los Angeles for Nha Trang, Vietnam on a general and urology mission to provide critical surgical care to underserved children and to share knowledge with local surgeons. The mission was coordinated by Mending Kids, with the invaluable support of Dr. Uyen Tran, an anesthesiologist whose outreach helped rally local partners and make this effort possible. At this time, most specialized pediatric care in Vietnam remains centered in Saigon. While the government covers care for children up to age seven, the three-hour flight—or even longer bus ride—to the capital, and the cost of staying there—make treatment out of reach for many families in the region. Without our team’s presence, several of these children would have been sent away, unable to receive the care they needed. This mission was especially meaningful. The team, made up of former refugees and children of refugees, returned to uplift a community they had not seen in decades—fifty years after the fall of Saigon.
In just one week, the team screened 26 children and mended 16, providing life-saving and life-changing surgeries for some of the most vulnerable. Beyond the care delivered, the team also spent time mentoring local doctors and nurses, strengthening the skills that will continue to serve children long after their departure. Unlike many organizations, Mending Kids relies primarily on individual donors and small grants. Yet, as word spread about this team and its story, members of the Vietnamese diaspora and friends of the doctors came together, funding and supplying much of the effort themselves. To our steadfast supporters—and to the new friends who joined us on this journey—thank you for believing in these children and helping us make their lives matter. And to the dedicated team that poured their hearts, skill, and sweat into giving back to a community they longed to serve again, we have much respect. Save the date - 03.21.2026
This fall, we’re proud to share that Dr. Jason Frischer has been named Surgeon-in-Chief and Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Le Bonheur Children’s and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Jason has been part of the Mending Kids family for 12 years and has served on our board for 8. Our Executive Director, Isabelle Fox, met Jason at a small airport in northern Tanzania, as he was lugging a rolling suitcase filled with Pringles and Ramen (he was worried he would have nothing to eat). We proved him wrong, and since then, his commitment to our mission has run deep, and his impact has been felt across the globe. Dr. Frischer's dedication, leadership, and heart have shaped so much of what we do. We're incredibly proud of his new role at Le Bonheur and grateful for his continued service to Mending Kids.
Get to know Dr. FrischerHow did you get involved with Mending Kids? A Google search. Missions you’ve joined: Tanzania and Paraguay. Every single mission and patient is memorable. The most impactful part of being involved with Mending Kids: The impact. It is direct, immediate, and palpable. Your idea of happiness: Being in the thick of a mission and knowing what’s happening has immense meaning. Bucket list: Happiness for all. Three dinner guests, past, present, or future: Robert Gross, Derek Jeter, Abraham Lincoln. A phrase you overuse: Do the right thing. Read more about his new position here and why we are so grateful to have him in our Mending Kids Family.
Dear Friend, Thank you for showing up and supporting Hike 2 Mend last Saturday, and a special thanks to the Conrad Family for generously sponsoring the day. Your presence and energy turned every mile into real impact. Because of you, funds raised at the hike will directly support life-changing missions in the coming weeks. Our surgical teams are heading to Armenia, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Uganda, and Mauritius, and we’re also preparing for our Hometown Mission in November. Please keep the children we serve in your thoughts. Every step you take helps a child take their next one.
What's next?1. Jeni’s Ice Cream Social We hope you will join us on Thursday, October 9 at Jeni’s Ice Creams for an evening of community and sweet treats. It is a great way to connect, celebrate, and continue supporting the children we serve.
2. October Missions
This month, our volunteer medical teams will travel to Vietnam, Armenia, and Nicaragua to provide life-changing and life-saving surgeries for children who would otherwise go without care. Your support makes these missions possible and gives every child a real chance at health and a future.
Friends, The wait is almost over. Hike 2 Mend is this Saturday, September 27! Every step and every share is a shout-out to support health equity and helps kids get the surgical care they need. We’ll hike to honor the long journeys parents everywhere make to reach life-saving treatment and to raise awareness of global health disparities. Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025 |
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