Missions and patients update

Iquitos, Peru

We were supposed to be returning from Iquitos, Peru this week but like most everyone else in the world, everything came to a screeching new reality. Our hearts go out to the patients we were unable to help along with the nearly half-million people in this Amazon region who reside in the largest city in the world without access by road. When we checked a few days ago, there were 65 patients battling the virus and they were being treated at the Hospital Regional Loreto where we would have been operating. There are only 5 ventilators to support this population. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Thankfully all our Individual International patients are doing well. However, they are stuck with us here a little while longer or riding out the pandemic halfway across the world. We are working to get them home as soon as it is safe and possible to do so.

Individual Care Patients

Meet our Individual Care Patients, Sarivelle. 
Sarivelle is our 8-year-old from the Congo, diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, who recently had successful open-heart surgery in Bangalore India mid-March. Bangalore is on lockdown until at least April 14th due to the COVID-19 crisis, so Sarivelle and her father are stuck there until they can travel home. She is a high-risk patient and we made arrangements to have the hotel extend the stay to keep her safe until she and her father can return home as soon as the airlines resume their services. 

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Maya, is our 11-year-old veteran mending kid from Bangladesh who had successful eye implant surgery on March 7th in San Diego. Even though she is medically discharged to go home, she remains here due to the COVID-19. Maya and her mother are currently staying with Naomi and Don Morshead, one of our amazing volunteer host families, in Valencia. We hope she can get home as soon as the airlines resume their services. Both Maya and her mom are anxious to get back to their family. 

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This is Aibol, our 8-year old burn patient from Kazakhstan who had successful reconstructive surgery on March 24th here in Los Angeles. Aibol was injured from a gas canister explosion when he was 6 years old. He is currently recovering from skin graft surgery on his lip due to this accident. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Aibol and his mom have had to remain in Los Angeles longer than anticipated, but they are scheduled for a flight on April 24th that we hope will get them home. Here he is practicing social distancing with his surgeon and Mending Kids board member, Dr. Andre Panossian. 

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Walter is our 19-year old orthopedic patient from Nicaragua who is currently recovering from leg lengthening surgery. Walter fractured his femur while he was horseback riding when he was 13 years old. He is currently recovering in Los Angeles with one of our host families, waiting to be medically discharged.  He is scheduled for a follow-up appointment with Dr. Nguyen. When he returns will be determined then. 

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