To The Fathers Who Show Up

Dear Friends,
 
Over the years, Mending Kids has had the privilege of caring for more than 6,100 children from 78 countries, and countless more through the skills, knowledge, and mentorship shared by our medical volunteers. But today, I'm thinking about the people who brought them to us.
 
This Father's Day, I'm thinking about the dads.
 
Not the ones in greeting cards.
 
The ones we meet in hospital hallways and crowded waiting rooms.
 
The fathers who sit quietly at a child's bedside while the rest of the family is somewhere far away.
 
The fathers fighting language barriers, trying to understand something terrifying.
The fathers who sell possessions, take extra jobs, save for months, and travel impossible distances to do whatever is necessary to give their child a chance.
 
The fathers who hold it together.
 
And sometimes, the fathers who don't know how to hold it together at all.
 
I've learned through this work that love often looks a lot like showing up.
 
Showing up when you're exhausted.
 
Showing up when you're afraid.
 
Showing up when you don't have the answers.
 
Showing up because your child needs you.
 
Every day, our teams meet mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings, and caregivers who would move mountains for the children they love.
 
This Father's Day, we want to recognize the fathers among them.
 
Thank you for your courage.
 
Thank you for your sacrifice.
 
Thank you for your faith.
 
Thank you for showing up.
 
And thank you for trusting us with the children you love.
 
From all of us at Mending Kids, Happy Father's Day.
 
With gratitude,
Isabelle Fox
Executive Director