5000 Kids Mended: Honoring Motherly Love

We are thrilled to announce that Mending Kids has reached a major milestone in our 18 year history. We have just mended our 5000th child! We couldn't have achieved this feat without the dedication of our small staff, the selflessness of our volunteer medical teams and non-medical volunteers, and the generous support of our board of directors, donors, and partners around the world.
 
We also want to take a moment to reflect on the immeasurable impact that our work has had beyond the 5000 children whose lives we have transformed. Over nearly two decades, Mending Kids surgical teams have engaged in transfers of knowledge with medical professionals around the world, building self-sufficiency and supporting the communities that we serve.

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Growing up in a shanty town in Paraguay after being abandoned by her own mother, Liz's future looked bleak. Her grandmother, who spoke only Guarani (an indigenous dialect from Paraguay), knew that Liz's health was rapidly deteriorating and that she needed medical attention.
 
Despite not having the funds for bus fare to get to the hospital in Asuncion, Liz's grandmother set off with her on foot. Along the way, they met kind strangers who helped them get to the hospital just in time for Liz to collapse at the doorstep. She was in heart failure and needed a new heart. Against all odds, a donor emerged and Liz was given a second chance at life. Liz became the first recipient of a heart transplant in a Paraguayan public hospital.
 
Following successful surgery, Liz didn't have suitable housing for her recovery. Luckily, she spent six months living with her cardiologist, a woman who became her advocate and champion. Eventually, Liz was placed in public housing and continued towards recovery. Eleven years later, Liz is a thriving young woman about to graduate from high school with plans to study medicine and give back.
 
Liz’s story is a reminder of the transformative impact that love and support can have on a child’s life. Mending Kids played a very small role in her journey to health, when we collaborated with Surgeons of Hope to provide critically needed medical supplies. Still, we want to honor those who helped her become the young woman she is today. We would also like to spotlight all the mothers and mother-figures who champion children to adulthood. We are proud of the impact we’ve made in the lives of so many, but we know there is so much more to be done. 

Mend a child

Together, we can continue to make a difference in the lives of children. Together, we can give them the opportunity to wish their parent a Happy Mother’s Day. Together, we can mend 5000 more.