meet carmela!

Mending Kids has 14 board members, doctors and professionals, all of who volunteer their time and are fiercely supportive of the work our organization does. Last week we introduced you to our Board's secretary. This week we'd like to introduce you to Carmela De Brouwer, a cornerstone of our Board of Directors for over five years. With a wealth of experience and a love for her homeland of Peru, Carmela brings a unique perspective to our organization. Carmela joined Dr. Vincent Duron in Iquitos this past December on a colorectal and dental mission. It was a journey close to her heart, to be able to return home and care for the children of Peru–an experience she found life altering. Dr. Duron has been volunteering as the Peru lead surgeon with Mending Kids since 2015 along with his wife Dr. Gabriella Ganoza-Duron, who specializes in pediatric dentistry. Iquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian Rainforest and geographically isolated, reachable only by air or water. 70% of the indigenous population lives in extreme poverty and has limited access to healthcare.Despite the challenges involved, our patients travel for days down the Amazon River to reach us. Communicating and organizing logistics for families living in this remote area is incredibly difficult. Nevertheless, it's truly remarkable that despite these obstacles, we are able to provide crucial medical care to the children of Iquitos every year.

Carmela shares with us, "Volunteering gives me a different perspective on life. It allows me to see other people's experiences that are beyond my comfort zone. Being there with the mothers and children, visiting them before their surgeries, I was able to learn more about the families. I would inquire, 'Where are you from?' and they would say a town that I had never heard of in the Amazon. It would take them days to arrive by boat to Iquitos. One of the mothers traveled for four days with her eleven-year-old son. It just shocked me how long it took to travel, and with your child who is in desperate need of care. I think about all the time and effort it takes for these families to get the help they need. It really took me out of my comfort zone. It's a reminder of how fortunate we are in this part of the world to have access to healthcare. Sometimes we want to provide twenty surgeries on a mission but are only able to complete ten, and it can be disappointing. But I have to remember, it is about one kid at a time, and that's the most important part. And we will continue to be back! It was an incredible and impactful experience of awareness, humility, and emotion. While I went on this trip to help and give something back to others, I ended up taking so much more back home with me."

Mend a Child

Together, we are Mending Kids!

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Join us in celebrating Carmela's invaluable contributions and learn a little more about Carmela….

How did you become involved with Mending Kids?
Through my friend, Isabelle Fox
 
How many years have you been involved with Mending Kids?
Over ten years
 
What's the most impactful part of being involved with Mending Kids for you?
Helping kids, giving them a better life and hope for their future
 
What is your idea of happiness?
Enjoying positive and healthy relationships with people
 
What are some things on your bucket list?
Traveling while helping kids and getting to know their culture and history
 
If you could have dinner with 3 people, past present or future who would they be?
My deceased mom, the Dalai Lama, and Naomi Osaka
 
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Ok!” and “No problem!”
 
Which talent would you most like to have?
Singing! :)