Welcome to the Present

For years, Dr. Michael Womack of St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital in Boise, Idaho, has supported a group of cardiologists across Central America, providing the safety net and mentorship they needed to build something of their own.
 
That support wasn’t just about showing up for missions. It meant creating opportunities for connection and learning across borders. When Dr. Womack traveled to Panama, cardiologists from Managua joined. When he was in Managua, colleagues from Costa Rica were brought in. The goal was always the same: to create a network that could support itself long after we stepped back.
 
Are we there yet? Not quite, but we’ve made it to first base.
 
Over the years, we showed up to do what we could with what they had. Sometimes that meant moving from one hospital to another in search of a working cath lab. Sometimes it meant working with aging equipment and limited supplies. But every trip built toward something bigger.
 
The government took notice.
 
They invested in the training of an additional pediatric cardiologist, who has just returned from Mexico to work alongside Dr. Cristhian Ramirez, whom we have supported for years. They also invested in something even more fundamental, a dedicated cath lab.
 
Last year, we were honored to be the first visiting team invited to use it at Hospital Infantil Manuel de Jesús Rivera “La Mascota” in Managua.
 
This week marked a milestone.
 
The team at La Mascota performed their first case entirely on their own.
 
This is what progress looks like. Welcome to the present.

We’re proud that Mending Kids has played a small part in this journey, supporting not just individual cases, but the long-term work of building local capacity so that care continues when we are not there.
 
It hasn’t been easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is. But this is the work, showing up consistently, building trust, and supporting teams as they grow into independence.
 
We look forward to being back in Managua next month to continue supporting them on this path. This upcoming trip will also focus on echocardiography training, helping ensure that repairs are guided by the clearest possible roadmap and that patients are supported throughout their healing journey.
 
If you’d like to support our upcoming Nicaragua mission, we invite you to join us.
 
To the many futures being restored.
Together, we are Mending Kids.
 
Isabelle Fox
Executive Director

Mend Nicaragua