Every year, children with complex heart conditions face delays in diagnosis and treatment simply because the technology and expertise aren’t locally available. In El Salvador, dedicated clinicians work tirelessly within public systems, yet the capacity for specialized interventional cardiology, lifesaving catheter-based care, remains limited. For many families, time isn’t on their side.
This June, Mending Kids returns to Hospital de Niños Benjamín Bloom in San Salvador to partner with the Ministry of Health, local cardiac teams, and community providers to expand access to advanced interventional cardiology procedures that save and change children’s lives, made possible by the leadership and dedication of the clinicians at Hospital Bloom.
The mission is led by Dr. Jenny Zablah, a Salvadoran-born cardiologist from Children’s Hospital Colorado, returning home to support critical access to non-surgical cardiac care. Dr. Zablah and the team will work with local clinicians to perform essential interventions, provide advanced imaging and procedural roadmaps, and elevate local capacity through hands-on knowledge exchange.
Together, we’ll support children with congenital and acquired heart disease by offering procedures that don’t require traditional surgery but do require specialized equipment, expertise, and collaboration across care teams.
This June, Mending Kids returns to Hospital de Niños Benjamín Bloom in San Salvador to partner with the Ministry of Health, local cardiac teams, and community providers to expand access to advanced interventional cardiology procedures that save and change children’s lives, made possible by the leadership and dedication of the clinicians at Hospital Bloom.
The mission is led by Dr. Jenny Zablah, a Salvadoran-born cardiologist from Children’s Hospital Colorado, returning home to support critical access to non-surgical cardiac care. Dr. Zablah and the team will work with local clinicians to perform essential interventions, provide advanced imaging and procedural roadmaps, and elevate local capacity through hands-on knowledge exchange.
Together, we’ll support children with congenital and acquired heart disease by offering procedures that don’t require traditional surgery but do require specialized equipment, expertise, and collaboration across care teams.
Mission Focus and Approach
- Provide lifesaving interventional cardiology procedures for children who lack local access
- Partner with local teams to develop procedural roadmaps and imaging insights critical to complex cases
- Strengthen local capacity through mentorship, shared clinical planning, and real-time collaboration
Why This Matters
Congenital heart disease affects children everywhere, but access to advanced cardiac care — especially interventional procedures like catheter-based valve repairs, device placements, and cardiac imaging — varies dramatically from region to region.
Across Latin America, access to pediatric cardiac catheterization labs and specialists remains limited compared to high-resource countries. When children face delays in diagnosis or intervention, the risk of irreversible damage or early death increases. By bringing interventional capability and expertise directly to Hospital Bloom, we help close that gap and improve care pathways for underserved patients who otherwise may wait too long for answers. (Data: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory)
This mission emphasizes collaboration, knowledge exchange, and sustainable impact. We’re not just doing procedures; we’re strengthening local systems that care for children long after our team returns home.
Across Latin America, access to pediatric cardiac catheterization labs and specialists remains limited compared to high-resource countries. When children face delays in diagnosis or intervention, the risk of irreversible damage or early death increases. By bringing interventional capability and expertise directly to Hospital Bloom, we help close that gap and improve care pathways for underserved patients who otherwise may wait too long for answers. (Data: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory)
This mission emphasizes collaboration, knowledge exchange, and sustainable impact. We’re not just doing procedures; we’re strengthening local systems that care for children long after our team returns home.
El Salvador Interventional Cardiology Mission
Help Us Mend Kids in El Salvador.
Our surgical team is donating their skills, time, and hearts — but getting them there, and giving them what they need to operate, takes resources. Your donation helps cover flights from Los Angeles, hotel stays near the hospital, extra luggage fees to transport vital supplies, and the consumables needed in every surgery. It also supports the effort behind the scenes to make it all run smoothly. Every dollar gets us closer to transforming lives — not just through surgery, but through the power of showing up. |
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