Excitement is building as we countdown towards our Imagine Gala on March 16th at The Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles! Our commitment to delivering life-saving surgical care to children at home and worldwide is embarking on its 19th year. Our dedicated surgical teams have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of underserved children and empower communities to achieve medical self-sustainability. The Imagine Gala promises to be a night of recognition and appreciation, celebrating remarkable honorees. We'll pay tribute to our inspiring former patient, Heber Carias, with the HOPE Award. Join us in celebrating the invaluable contributions of Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s, recipient of the LOVE Award, and pediatric colorectal surgeon, Dr. Jason Frischer from Cincinnati Children's Hospital, who will receive the MEND Award. Secure your spot at the Imagine Gala here and be part of an unforgettable evening of inspiration, celebration, and making a positive impact! Thank you for your continued support. Every dollar raised goes towards providing critical surgical care to children in need. Since 2009, we have mended over 5200 children from 74 countries. In-kind contributions, either through products or services, help elevate the event experience for our guests and donors while achieving great exposure for your company.
Dear Friends, We invite you to join us for a night that promises inspiration, celebration, and the power to transform lives – the 19th Mending Kids Gala: "Be a Pearl in Our Ocean of Hope." We're thrilled to celebrate remarkable honorees making a lasting impact and the children we serve. This year's recipients of our Hope, Love, and Mend Awards are: Mend Award - Dr. Jason Frischer Head of the Colorectal Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. In recognition of his unwavering dedication as a pediatric colorectal surgeon and as a dedicated board member of Mending Kids, he has mended over 140 children while simultaneously elevating the standards of care. He is the embodiment of the Mend Award. Love Award - Cedar-Sinai Guerin Children's For nearly two decades, Cedar-Sinai Guerin Children’s has provided unwavering support to Mending Kids. Supporting our surgical trips with medical volunteers and equipment, their enduring dedication to pediatric, local and global surgical care not only exemplifies the Love Award but also inspires us all. Hope Award - Heber Carias A former patient whose transformative journey to healing should inspire us all. Your presence at our gala will not only make it a night to remember but will also contribute to our mission of providing lifesaving care to more children. By joining us, you become a vital part of the journey towards ensuring that every child receives the care they deserve for a happy and healthy life. Your support will create a ripple effect of positive change.
Date: March 16, 2024 Location: Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles Together, let's raise funds and make a difference! Dear Friends, As we embark on a new year, we are thrilled to share exciting updates from Mending Kids. Save the Date - Imagine Gala on March 16th!Mark your calendars! Mending Kids is delighted to announce our upcoming Imagine Gala 2024: Be a Pearl in Our Ocean of Hope, on March 16th. The Gala will be a night of recognition and appreciation, celebrating remarkable honorees who have played a vital role in our mission. Further details and invitations will follow soon. Overseas Missions to Tanzania, Ghana, and the PhilippinesMending Kids is proud to announce the deployment of 3 missions to Tanzania, The Philippines and Ghana over the next week. Our dedicated team of doctors, nurses, and volunteers will be traveling to these regions to perform life-changing surgeries for children facing critical health challenges. This week, our team in Tanzania is embarking on their 8th ARM surgical mission, led by Dr. Jason Frischer and Dr. Beth Rymeski of the Colorectal Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital!
Dear friends, In 2023, together, we achieved remarkable milestones, surpassing our 5000th mended child and providing life-changing surgeries to 288 children this year alone. Here are some highlights of our accomplishments: Surgical Missions: This year, we conducted 11 surgical missions in Cambodia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Mauritius, and Tanzania, providing vital medical interventions to children facing complex health challenges and training local medical personnel. Our teams’ notable accomplishments this year:
As we forge ahead into 2024, our mission continues. With your steadfast support, we aim higher, striving to impact more lives and create a world where every child thrives - our goal is to mend 365 children! Thank you for being an indispensable part of the Mending Kids family. May this festive season bring joy, and may the New Year bring health, happiness, and prosperity to you and your loved ones. With heartfelt gratitude, Isabelle, Mary, Chaoyi, Arielle, Jeff, Sara, and Daphne Mending Kids Friends, We are thrilled to announce that we have been selected to take part in MileagePlus Miles on a Mission through United Airlines. This incredible opportunity promises to be a game-changer for our upcoming mission! By donating your unused United Airlines miles, you can help us send 15 devoted medical volunteers to Guatemala this February to bring healing to 75-100 children suffering from ear, nose, and throat conditions. Aside from medical supplies, one of our biggest challenges in fundraising has been covering the costs of flights for our dedicated team of doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel when they embark on surgical trips abroad. With MileagePlus Miles on a Mission, you have the chance to make an impactful difference by donating miles to support this life-changing campaign. Your unused donated miles will directly contribute to the transportation of our medical volunteers, enabling Mending Kids to provide critical surgical care to children in need. Each mile donated brings us closer to giving these children a chance at a healthier, happier future. We are immensely grateful to United Airlines for their invaluable contribution and to each of you for considering being a part of this remarkable journey. Together, we have the power to transform miles into life-changing surgeries. During this season of gratitude, as we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, let's extend our appreciation for the abundance in our lives by giving the gift of hope. As we express thanks for what we have, let's also consider those in need. This Giving Tuesday, your generosity has the power to transform lives. With a goal to serve 400 children next year, every donation you make is a step towards providing life-changing surgery for a child in need. This isn’t just about giving; it’s about mending futures, one child at a time. All children, regardless of where they live, their ethnic background, religious affiliation, or ability to pay, deserve access to quality surgical care to help save and mend their lives. Together, let's make a meaningful difference and create a world where every child has the chance to thrive. Happy Thanksgiving, and let's spread the spirit of giving on Giving Tuesday and beyond! What your donation will doSave the date!Last month was nothing short of extraordinary as we went on three life-changing cardiac missions, bringing hope, love, and mending to 61 children. PhilippinesIn partnership with the Philippine Heart Center, two missions were deployed in the Philippines. Dr. Jean Villareal, led a heart catheterization mission in Tacloban, Philippines, while Dr. Alex Chan, headed the very first Zamboanga, Philippines open-heart mission. Working hand in hand with local doctors, we mended the hearts of 27 children. TanzaniaOur cardiac mission in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, led by Dr. Darren Berman from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Dr. Ermanno Bellanti from Bambino Gesù Ospedale Pediatrico Italy, successfully mended 34 children at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute. Gene SimmonsOnce again, legendary rock star Gene Simmons shined the light on Mending Kids on Fox 11. Gene shared the highlights of his birthday bash and Funko Pop collaboration, all in support of Mending Kids. As a dedicated supporter, he reflected on the incredible journey, interacting with patients whose lives have been transformed and saved. As we approach Thanksgiving, we invite you to consider Mending Kids in your giving plans. Every donation provides free life-saving surgical care to sick children worldwide. Save the dateThank you to all who joined us at Peter Strauss Ranch last weekend and to our sponsors and supporters of this year's Hike 2 Mend. Your incredible generosity and unwavering support have yielded resounding success, and we're on the path to more mending! The funds raised through Hike 2 Mend will fuel our upcoming missions in Iquitos, Peru, Mwanza, Tanzania, and Guatemala City, Guatemala, all scheduled for the next few months. Friends, In just 5 days, we embark on another extraordinary journey to support children in need of life-changing surgical care. Hike 2 Mend has always been a symbol of unity, compassion, and collective action, and we invite you to walk with us once more. Event Details Date: October 7, 2023 Time: 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM Location: Peter Strauss Ranch, Agoura Hills, CA Hike 2 Mend is not just an event; it's an opportunity for our growing community to unite and amplify our cause, ensuring children everywhere can access the care they need. As a symbol of the challenges parents face, we invite you to Carry the Load: For those willing to take on the symbolic weight of a child's journey, participants can choose to carry backpacks weighing between 5 lbs to 20 lbs, filled with rice. This weight represents the burden parents bear when seeking medical care for their children, raising awareness for the half-billion underserved children worldwide in need of surgical intervention. The rice and other essential supplies will be donated to the West Valley Food Pantry after the event. Your unwavering support this year has been nothing short of remarkable, enabling us to expand our programs and mend 14 Kids in Tacloban City, Philippines and send another team out this week to mend hearts in Tanzania. We want to express our heartfelt gratitude and invite you to join us on this meaningful hike.
This Saturday, October 7, 2023, join us on this beautiful path of compassion and change. See you on the trail! Hike 2 Mend has evolved into a symbol of unity, compassion, and collective action. We stand together to raise awareness and honor the formidable journey parents worldwide endure in their quest to secure surgical care for their children, battling relentless barriers or navigating insurance eligibility and denials. When: October 7, 2023, 8am - 11am Location: Peter Strauss Ranch, Agoura Hills, CA We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support. This year, your contributions have been pivotal in expanding our programs and providing essential aid to countless children in need. We want to thank you. Walk with us and whether you can join us in person or show your support from afar, we deeply appreciate you. Hike 2 Mend is an opportunity for our growing community to unite and amplify our cause in support of giving children everywhere the opportunity to access the care they need.
For those willing to take on the symbolic weight of a child's journey, we invite you to bring rice and canned goods, to be donated to the West Valley Food Pantry after the event. Carry the Load: Participants can choose to carry 5 lb to 20 lb backpacks filled with nonperishables, representing the weight of a child a parent must carry when seeking medical care for their child. Together, we raise awareness for the half-billion underserved children worldwide in need of surgical intervention. Join us on this beautiful path of compassion and change. Together, we can make a profound impact on the lives of children in need. We are immensely grateful for your support and eagerly anticipate your involvement. See you on October 7th! |