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Stories and updates from our team

2 weeks until imagine gala 2025!

3/4/2025

 
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We are just two weeks away from the Mending Kids Imagine Gala on Thursday, March 20—a milestone evening celebrating two decades of transforming lives. This year’s theme, The Snowball Effect, celebrates how our collective efforts have transformed a single seed of compassion into a flourishing wave of change. 
 
Whether you buy a ticket, sponsor, pay tribute, or make a donation, your support helps us grow a movement that continues to impact thousands of lives. A portion of the funds raised will support a Hometown Mission this year to help special needs patients move off a waitlist to receive dental surgery.
 
*Tickets and table prices increase on Friday, March 7
Get Tickets and Tables

Our Program

Love award: bear givers

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We are thrilled to honor Bear Givers and five of their Board Members, Joseph Sprung, Diane Lempert, Michele Mirman, Barbara Firestone and Richard Fink with the Love Award for their support and dedication to Mending Kids over the years. Their longstanding partnership has been instrumental in providing our mended kids with the comforting teddy bears that become cherished companions during their recovery.

​MEND AWARD: DR. NAMRATA VARMA & THE GUATEMALA TEAM

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Dr. Namrata Varma & the Guatemala Team have been loyal partners in our mission, leading annual missions to Guatemala since 2015. Their remarkable dedication is reflected in their status as our most prolific surgical team, having performed over 800 surgeries on children in need. 

​HOPE AWARD: BIRRHANU NICOL

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Hope is the spark that fuels resilience and transformation, and our former patient and 2025 Hope Award honoree, Birrhanu is a wonderful embodiment of this. 

OUR HOST FOR THE EVENING: 
​
TIA CARRERE

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Longtime Mending Kids ambassador Tia Carrere is an accomplished actress as well as a two-time Grammy award-winning musical artist. 

GALA AGENDA

6:30 PM - Cocktails & Silent Auction
8:00 PM - Dinner & Program

Your investment has a lasting impact, improving the health, education, and opportunities of children, which can transform their way of life. Invest in their future, and together, let's make a profound and lasting impact on the lives of children in need.
 
For more details on how you can participate, visit our website to learn more about ticket information and sponsorship opportunities.
Imagine Gala 2025: The Snowball Effect

Special thanks to:

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Imagine Gala Countdown: Honoring Birrhanu Nicol, Our Hope Award Recipient

2/21/2025

 
Join Us in Celebrating our 20th Year of Transforming Lives!
 
As we count down to our Imagine Gala on March 20, we are thrilled to honor 
Birrhanu Nicol, this year’s Hope Award recipient.
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At just five years old, Birrhanu faced challenges that led him to Mending Kids, where a life-changing surgery gave him new opportunities. Now a university student in Scotland, his journey is a testament to resilience and the power of community support.
 
We are excited to welcome Birrhanu back, alongside 
Dr. David Skaggs, the surgeon who helped transform his future. This is a rare opportunity for those who knew him then to reconnect and celebrate the remarkable person he has become.
 
This year’s Imagine Gala marks 20 years of impact, changing lives like Birrhanu’s. Be part of this inspiring evening as we continue to provide hope and healing to children in need. A portion of the proceeds will directly support a local Hometown Mission, ensuring children in our community receive the critical medical care they deserve.
 
Stay tuned as we introduce our next honorees in the coming weeks!
More on Birrhanu’s Journey
Reserve Your Seat or Table Today!
Support in Lieu of Attending

Imagine Gala Rescheduled – A Night to Mend, Love, and Give Hope!

2/4/2025

 
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Dear Friend,
 
In light of the challenges faced by our community, we are sharing the rescheduled date for our 20th Annual Imagine Gala, which was postponed due to the Los Angeles wildfires. Our hearts are with those impacted, and as our city begins to recover, we remain committed to ensuring children receive the life-changing surgical care they desperately need. We will continue our efforts to support those affected and have faith that we will rebuild stronger than ever.

We invite you to join us on Thursday, March 20th at the Skirball Cultural Center for an evening dedicated to mending children here at home and around the world.
Get your tickets today and be part of this meaningful night
This year, we will celebrate three extraordinary honorees who epitomize the heart of Mending Kids:

  •  Birrhanu Nicol – Hope Award, for embodying everything we wish for our patients and their futures.
  • Bear Givers Organization – Love Award, for the comfort and joy they have provided to thousands of our children.
  • Dr. Namrata Varma and Guatemala Team of SCENT & MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach – Mend Award, for the more than 800 children she and her team have changed through surgical care.
 
A portion of the Gala's proceeds will support a hometown mission in Venice, California, addressing the urgent need for dental surgeries for special needs children. These children have been waiting 3-4 years for essential care requiring sedation. This June, we will provide much-needed relief to this overlooked community, ensuring that children right here at home receive the care they deserve.
Get Your Tickets Here
Become a Sponsor Here
Can't Attend? Support our Mission by Donating​

The snowball effect continues with you.
​Your support changes lives—we can't wait to see you there!

 
Together, we are Mending Kids.

Against All Odds: Saving Enmanuel

1/23/2025

 
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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. 
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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.

Be a Lifesaver

Postponement of Our Imagine Gala

1/17/2025

 
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Dear Friend,
 
In the wake of the ongoing fires impacting our cherished Los Angeles community, we extend our deepest solidarity and compassion. These devastating times weigh heavily on all of us, and our thoughts are with everyone affected, including our own Mending Kids family.
 
In response to the fires, we have distributed KN95 masks, blankets, and clean water filters to our local fire station and shelter, and are reviewing our inventory to make additional supplies available to support our community during this time.
 
We remain committed to providing surgical care to children. We will carry on, focused on helping as many children as we can, and will do our best to navigate this next chapter while our county recovers.
 
Out of respect for those impacted, we have made the decision to postpone our Imagine Gala, as many in our community are navigating immense challenges. We will share the rescheduled date as soon as possible and look forward to gathering together when the time feels right.
 
Please stay safe and look out for each other. Our hearts go out to you, and together, we stand with resilience and hope.
 
Warm regards,
 
Isabelle Fox
Executive Director

Cheers to an Incredible 2024—and an Even Brighter 2025!

12/27/2024

 
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As 2024 comes to a close, we’re overflowing with gratitude for YOU and the incredible milestones we achieved together.
 
This year, thanks to your unwavering support:
  • 451 children's lives were mended, exceeding our goal of mending one child a day.
  • 24 surgical trips were deployed across the globe.
  • 100+ medical volunteers contributed to training, transforming countless more lives.

 
Here’s to more hope, more mending, and more miracles in 2025! 
 
From all of us at Mending Kids, we wish you a happy, healthy, and joyful New Year. Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey!
 

Warmly,
The Mending Kids Team
Make a Year-End Gift

Mark Your Calendars – It’s a Night You Won’t Want to Miss!

12/20/2024

 
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Get ready to dazzle, dream, and dance as we celebrate our 20th year of transforming lives at the Mending Kids Imagine Gala!

Date: Saturday, February 15th, 2025
Location: Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA

Snag Your Sponsor / Early Bird Tickets Now!
This year, we’re turning up the sparkle as we honor the incredible Bear Givers with the LOVE Award and celebrate the dedicated Dr. Namrata Varma from Miller Children and Women's Hospital Long Beach & Southern California Ear, Nose, and Throat (SCENT) and the Guatemala Team with the MEND Award.
 
Join us for an unforgettable evening of love, laughter, and impact! Together, we’ll continue the snowball effect—turning your participation into ripples of change that give kids a chance at a healthy future. Save your spot today and be part of something extraordinary!

Special thanks to

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A Promise Fulfilled: A Journey of Thanksgiving and Resilience

11/27/2024

 
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This year, for my birthday, I gave myself a gift: between surgical camps in Tanzania and Mauritius, I flew to Uganda to visit one of our former patients who, against all odds, defied every expectation to survive and thrive. Badru was just four years old when we first met him. He lived in a remote village, about five and a half hours northeast of Kampala, where life itself was a struggle.
 
It was 2015, and our team was in Mwanza, Tanzania. We had arranged for Badru, his mother, an interpreter, and a chaperone to travel from Uganda and join us for a life-saving heart surgery. When he arrived, Badru could barely stand; he spent most of his day crouched to relieve the strain on his heart. His lips were blue, his fingers clubbed. His mother, a widow and subsistence farmer raising four other children, had left everything and everyone behind to make this journey, hoping it would save her son.
 
Yet even with their dedication and long journey, the challenges weren’t over. Badru arrived with a fever, and we immediately started him on antibiotics. Blood typing revealed that he was O-negative. The hospital had no units of this rare blood type, nor did the regional blood bank. Desperate, we turned to the radio, broadcasting a region-wide appeal that yielded only two of the four units needed. As an O-negative donor myself, I knew I had to step up. Crossing the street to the blood bank, I offered my arm, ensuring a sterile needle with the help of a fellow volunteer. My pint would be for Badru.
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Our surgeon, Sasha (aka Dr. Salvatore Agati), took a leap of faith and planned the surgery with three units and some platelets, setting it for Thursday. The clock was ticking, and we had almost exhausted every avenue to save him. I couldn’t shake the worry that my own high cholesterol might somehow affect his recovery—but we had no other choice. Badru’s time was running out. He had three to six months to live, if that. As I carried him into the OR, I made a quiet promise: if he survived, I would put him through school.
 
We don’t often get to see, let alone hold, the lives our blood donations save. Maybe if more people did, the blood banks wouldn’t be so empty. Miraculously, the surgery was successful. The following year, Badru started school, and I kept my word, sending money for fees, uniforms, and the necessities he needed to grow and thrive.
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Yet, more than Badru’s future haunted me—his mother’s circumstances weighed on my heart. She shared that she had been sexually assaulted in her village after she was widowed. With no one to protect her, she was painfully vulnerable. We spoke about this at length before she left to return to her village, no one could stop her from an attack, and we decided that while we couldn’t protect her from harm, we could help her mitigate the consequences. On her way home, she received a Norplant implant for contraception, giving her two years of peace of mind. I wanted to provide a source of income, something sustainable that would improve her family’s situation. Initially, I thought of purchasing a cow, but local friends advised against it—a cow could make her a target. Instead, we invested in three goats, a modest investment of $200 plus $60 for birth control.
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Mama Badru raised the goats, bred them, and sold them for cattle, building her wealth slowly and carefully. Eventually, she acquired a plot of land and built a small house on it. For the past nine years, we kept in touch through an extraordinary pastor, Robert Nabulere, a compassionate man who kept me updated and made the arrangements for Badru. When I mentioned I wanted to visit, he and his wife, Rose, put everything on hold to accompany me and a friend, deep into Uganda.
 
The journey was exhausting, but the reward was beyond measure. The pastor had prepared a surprise for me, welcoming me in addition to Badru, were two other boys whose hearts we had also mended, Prosper and James. All three ran up to hug me, their smiles filling my heart. The women in the village prepared a simple feast with the food they’d grown themselves: stewed bananas, groundnut sauce, beans, and rice. I brought the birthday cake the hotel in Kampala had given me to celebrate. We sat together in the shade, exchanging stories, laughing, marveling at the strength these children had regained. It was deeply moving for me. I don’t know that words can truly capture it.

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As I looked around, I was reminded that life in this part of the world is in stark contrast to the comforts we know—no running water, no electricity, no social media or internet. Life begins at dawn and winds down by sunset. And though I felt the physical discomforts acutely, my heart was full. For a small investment of blood, surgery, and finances, Mama Badru’s ability to care for her family had multiplied tenfold.
 
Thanksgiving reminds us of all we have and all we can give. Visiting Badru and his family renewed my gratitude for the journey I have been on and for all our work at Mending Kids. It is a reminder that sometimes, the simplest gestures—like a pint of blood, surgery, or a few goats—can have a profound, lasting impact.
 
May we continue to invest in each other, knowing that the smallest gifts can make the greatest difference.
 
- Isabelle Fox,
Executive Director
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​Happy Thanksgiving, from our Mending Kids family to yours.

Mend a Child

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Help Send Surgeons to Guatemala

Our Village: A week of team work in Nicaragua

11/15/2024

 
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After over two decades of traveling to Central America to support interventional cardiologists on their journey to becoming self-sustaining, Dr. Michael Womack's cardiology mission in Managua has become a center of collaboration for an alliance of Central American colleagues. Returning to Nicaragua for the second time this year, and working with Nicaraguan interventionalists Dr. Mireya Araica and Dr. Christian Ramirez, as well as Panamanian Dr. Aldo Campos and Costa Rican Dr. Rafael Gutierrez, Dr. Womack and the team completed a record 15 complex lifesaving procedures, in just one week. They were also joined by first-time mission member Dr. Nestor Flores, a promising Nicaraguan pediatric cardiologist whose expertise and dedication were instrumental.
 
However, the mission was almost derailed just as it began when the fluoroscopy system—a critical tool for capturing real-time moving images of the heart and blood  vessels—malfunctioned. This halted a slate of complex cases that were scheduled and sent us back to the drawing board, jeopardizing our schedule and upsetting the patients and families who were hopeful to receive their procedures…but fate intervened. Philips Senior Solutions Specialist Dean Rindlishbach, who happened to be visiting the hospital, learned what had happened and immediately stepped in, quickly repairing the machine. Thanks to Dean's heroically timely support, we were able to quickly reset and mend as planned.
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Thanks to the tireless efforts of every volunteer and partner for facing up to the challenges and making this mission a resounding success. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to Abbott, Medshare, Bear Givers, Teleflex, BBraun, Merit Medical, Naomi and her Mending 1000 Heart Campaign, Terumo, Philips, Rivas Opstaele, Carmela de Brouwer, Robyn Ross, and Michael Nadlman.
 
With every mission, we're reminded that it takes a village to mend hearts and that together, we're building a self-sustaining future for children in Central America. Thank you to all who make this work possible and thank you for keeping our kids in your thoughts and making their lives matter.
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Mend a child
Nicaragua October 2024 Photo Album

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Help Send Surgeons to Guatemala

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Together, we are mending kids!

Returning to Armenia!

10/22/2024

 
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After five years, we finally returned to Armenia in October. The mission was led by Dr. Andre Panossian, who resumed his mentorship of two local pediatric plastic surgeons, providing specialized facial reanimation surgery and reconstructions for children born with nerve paralysis or hemangiomas. 
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Yerevan, a beautiful and bustling city with a history dating back to 800 BC, has recently seen the immigration of 100,000 exiled Russians and an equal number of ethnic Armenians displaced from Azerbaijan after losing the two-year battle for Artsakh (AKA Nagorno-Karabakh.) This influx has significantly impacted the city and its healthcare system, which provides free surgical care and hospitalization for all children from birth to age 18. Producing highly specialized surgeons is especially challenging for a nation of only 3 million people, making Dr. Panossian’s work all the more critical. During the pandemic, he used smart-glass technology to consult virtually and assist Armenian surgeons when travel was impossible.
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Our first patient on this trip was Ani, an 11-year-old girl who practically leaped for joy when we told her she was a good candidate for reconstructive surgery. She skipped into the OR, and after recovery, she was grinning from ear to ear. As Azerbaijan refugees, her family is rebuilding their lives in Armenia, and it was heartwarming to provide her with this surgery and witness her self-esteem blossom overnight. 

Ani was just one of 11 patients that week—ranging from siblings born with cleft palates (the brother, an amazing Duduk* player), to a young girl burned as a baby, whose contractures were affecting her ability to move her neck. One traumatized patient had already endured seven unsuccessful surgeries to close her palate. Each patient brought a unique and heartbreaking story, but by the end of the week, it was a journey filled with hope.

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For the non-Armenian volunteers, it was also a week of history lessons, and for all the children, it was a week of life-changing care and renewed possibility.

As we look ahead, we plan to expand our program in Armenia to include other medical specialties, ensuring that more children receive the specialized life-changing care they deserve. You can help us continue this critical work by supporting our future missions. Please consider contributing to our Armenia mission and be a part of bringing hope and healing to even more children in need.

* a double reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood.
Mend a Child
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together, we are mending kids!


In case you missed it

Mending Kids was recently featured on Lacey Chabert’s Hallmark+ series Celebrations, which highlights inspiring individuals making a difference. In the episode “Carmela's Peruvian Fiesta,” our board member Carmela De Brouwer was recognized for her incredible work supporting Mending Kids and providing life-saving surgeries to children around the world. The episode captured Carmela’s deep commitment to service, particularly in her native Peru, with a heartwarming celebration filled with culture and joy. If you missed it, you can still stream the episode and join us in continuing to heal more children!
Celebrations with Lacey Chabert - Episode 7
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Mailing Address:
Mending Kids
​21255 Burbank Blvd, Ste 120
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
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Phone: 818-843-6363
​Email: [email protected]
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2024 Annual Report
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  • Home
  • Donate Now
  • Get Involved
    • Refer a patient
    • Volunteer
    • Fundraise
    • Become a Monthly Donor
    • Our Shop
  • Programs
    • Hometown Mission
    • Overseas Mission Trips >
      • Armenia Mission
      • Ghana Cardiac
      • Guatemala Ear Nose & Throat
      • Nicaragua ​Interventional Cardiology
      • Paraguay ARM
      • Peru Mission
      • Philippine Regional Cardiac Missions
      • Tanzania ARM
      • Tanzania Cardiac
      • Tanzania ENT
      • MISSION Q&A
  • MEND US
  • EVENTS
    • Gala 2025
    • Mahjong
    • Hike to Mend
  • Press
  • ABOUT
    • About us
    • Heroes
    • Contact
    • Photo Albums
    • Blog
    • 2024 Annual Report