Against All Odds: Saving Enmanuel

In the midst of all the tragedy that has surrounded us these past weeks, it’s easy to lose sight of the small miracles that remind us why we persevere. And yet, as 2025 began, a ray of hope emerged, and a life was saved–Enmanuel's; Emelis held her firstborn, with the promise of his future ahead of him.  
 
Sometime after Thanksgiving, we began to wrap up 2024. We were catching our breath from an extraordinary year, when a message came in from our trusted surgeon, Dr. Salvatore Agati, at the Vatican Pediatric Hospital in Sicily. Could we help cover the surgical costs for an infant from Venezuela suffering from Transposition of the Great Arteries?  
 
My heart sank. We had completely exhausted our budget.  
 
To give you perspective, we set an ambitious goal of mending one child a day across all our programs, planning for 12 missions in 2024–a goal we humbly exceeded. As opportunities and emergencies arose throughout the year, our goals expanded–we mended 450 children and doubled our missions to 24. Now, #451, a baby from Caracas, was a Hail Mary.  
Thankfully, two other organizations (Fondazione Germano Chincherini and Save a Child's Heart) stepped in to share the costs and assist with transport. We scrambled to apply for a last-minute grant, racing against the clock as doors to funding closed for the year. With little time and resources, we placed our faith in the universe, hoping to defer some costs to next year's budget. 

The wheels were set in motion. Enmanuel, a two-month-old in critical need of a heart repair, and his mother, Emelis, a special needs teacher, left Venezuela and flew to Sicily. With faith, luck, and the expertise of Dr. Agati and his team–Emmanuel has a future.
 
Some believe that when you save one life, you save the universe that comes with it. For now, we hold onto this light and count our blessings for the lives we have the privilege of touching.  
 
PS Venezuela is country #77 we have helped children from.
 
Sincerely,
Isabelle Fox
Executive Director

Never lose hope - together, we are Mending Kids.

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