Happy Father's day

This Father’s Day we reached out to a few the fathers in our Mending Kids family and asked them to share a little bit about themselves and their children. 

​This is Dr. Mike Ford, an anesthesiologist who travels with us on our Guatemala ENT mission. 

Here’s his story! (Pictured here in Guatemala with a lollipop!)  

What are your children’s names and their ages?
“Jonathon (27), Rachel (25) and Joseph (20)”
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What is your favorite thing about being a father? 
“My favorite thing about being a father has been watching my children grow into kind, caring, wise human beings.”

What surprised you the most about being a dad?
“The most surprising thing about being a father is that you never stop learning. As your child grows, you go from watching Sponge Bob to watching them drive away in your car. It was a shock to my system when they started thinking on their own and looking at me as if I knew nothing!”

What three adjectives would you use to describe yourself?
“The three adjectives I'd use to describe myself are loving, caring and supportive.”

What would surprise your children most to know about you?
​“My kids would be surprised to know that I was actually cool in high school and college.”

What should all fathers know about being a parent? 
“Fathers should know that there is no one playbook for raising kids. Each kid requires their own set of plays. One size does not fit all. You learn as you go and you will make mistakes, but its okay.”

Why do you volunteer with Mending Kids and what have the experiences meant for you or your kids?
“Volunteering for a medical mission was something I've always wanted to do. I believe in giving back, sharing knowledge, learning from others, inspiring and being inspired. Helping others is fulfilling. It makes me feel like I am an asset to this world when doing something to help another human being, whether it's providing medical care, helping with academics or simply making someone smile. It's the best feeling.”

How do you celebrate Father’s day? 
“My family typically celebrates Father's Day by giving me a card with words of appreciation and a gift. In the evening we usually have a big feast prepared by my lovely wife, with help from one of our children. I mostly enjoy spending quality time with my family. Unfortunately, this Father's Day I'll be at work!”

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Our next father is Jose L Trejo, he is the father of one of the children who received surgical care at our Hometown Mission in Los Angeles. 

Jose is pictured here with his three kids! Here is his story!

“My Name is Jose L Trejo
My children are Josephine Trejo 12 years old
Jorge Trejo  10 years old
And Randy Trejo also 10 years old”
 
Can You Tell us  a little about your children and your experience before finding Mending Kids?
“It hasn't been easy for me and my wife  since we had our first child Josie ,she was born with many health issues and conditions , we been in many hospitals since and it's been a roller coaster with her health , her main concern is her kidneys , she was born with a kidney disease and right now she is a kidney transplant recipient. When Jorge and Randy were born for us was like a reward from heaven for not giving up with Josie. We were so happy, but little later my son Jorge , we noticed he was born with a little birthmark on his face very close to his left eye, at the beginning there was nothing visible  but little by little it was growing and getting darker and darker.
When Jorge was around 3 years old it was already very noticeable and other kids started to make fun of him and the bully was an everyday thing he was also already attending school and he was getting depressed  and did not want to go school. One day he came from school , went straight to the bathroom and he was trying to remove the birthmark with soap ,water and a towel. That’s when I found out , Jorge was not happy and he did not want to have friends and didn’t want to talk to anyone, he was very sad and shy.
I did not know what to do and I called the doctor to see if they could help me to remove it but they told me it was not a health related issue and they didn’t want to help me. After that I tried to see if I could pay a doctor with plastic surgery but it was so expensive and we did not have that kind of money. Right here I lost hope and I was feeling that I was not going to be able to help my son Jorge, I thought about getting a tattoo in the same spot Jorge had his birthmark ,showing him that it wasn't so bad.
One day I came from work and watching the news saw a report about Mending Kids  helping kids like my kid and I wrote the phone number and I did call right away not knowing if it was real or maybe the Doctors were not real doctors, it was very hard to believe. But Mending Kids took my call and that's when the miracle started for us.

How has your life and your children's life changed since finding Mending Kids?
“Our lives have changed so much , Jorge now enjoy life like any other kid and he smile every day he is a happy little boy. He is so different , he has lots of friends and that makes me so happy. Mending Kids restored hope in our lives and I am grateful for that every single day of my life.”
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What is your favorite thing about being a father ?
“That I have the biggest gift ever , which is to watch my kids everyday growing , laughing and having a happy life I'm a very lucky guy. Sorry  I'm a very blessed person that sounds better.”

What surprised you the most about being a dad? 
“When I come home from work and my 3 kids run to the door to kiss me. That’s my best reward in life.”

What 3 adjectives would you used to describe yourself?
“I care for other, I share with others and hard worker , try to be excellent Dad”

What would surprise your children most to know about you?
“That I will give my life away, any time for any of them.”

What should all fathers know about being a parent?
“They should know the real meaning about Sacrifice . When you have kids it is not about you anymore, it's about your kids.”

How do you celebrate father's day?
“I celebrate father's day  every day of my life , having my kids , watching them grow, having a happy life and getting blessings from God every day that's how I celebrate.   GOD BLESS MENDING KIDS”