Mending Kids provides free life-saving surgical care to sick children worldwide by deploying
volunteer medical teams and educating communities to become medically self-sustaining.

Our volunteer medical teams donate their time and services 
​to care for children while educating local medical staff.

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HOW IT ALL STARTED...

​The vibrant and significant history of Mending Kids International began with our founder and devoted full-time volunteer Cris Embleton over 30 years ago. After the tragic passing of Cris' adopted daughter just prior to her first birthday, when $5 worth of medicine would have saved her life, Cris set out to make certain children around the world had access to life-saving surgeries and medical care.
By building relationships with local hospitals in Southern California and third world physicians, Cris was able to bring children to the United States for surgery and provide treatment to others through annual medical missions abroad. She formed her own international non-profit organization, Healing the Children - which is now running in 14 states!
In order to expand the mission in California, Cris and her local Board of Directors broke away in 2005 to form Mending Kids International. Cris will always be such a special part of our daily mission to help children around the world receive transformational surgeries to live normal and fun childhoods!

THE TEAM 

A dedicated team of people who combine their skills and power their hearts
​to organize, plan, empower and execute our mission

Isabelle 
Fox

Executive Director

Arielle
Leviste

Program & Outreach
​Specialist

Dulcie
Morris

Programs Specialist

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SARA
​NACHUM

Development Manager

jeffrey
schare

Senior Programs Coordinator

Mary
Zimmerman

Programs Coordinator

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2025 board of directors

​Ayal
​Willner, md

Board-certified otolaryngologist
Southern California Ear, Nose and Throat
​​Board ​President​

Leslie
​Wright Frost

Community Volunteer
​Board ​Vice-President​

Richard Tabura

Greenberg Traurig LLP
​Board ​Secretary​

Alexis ​Crump

Attorney, Partner
Lewis Brisbois​
​Board Treasurer​

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Deidre Bailey

Portfolio Manager & Founder
DSD FINANCIAL, INC

​Darren Berman​, MD

Director of Pediatric Interventional Cardiology
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

​Rebecca
​​BERNSTEIN​

CEO
Southwest Washington
​Regional Surgery Center

​Robert
​Bernstein, MD

Chief of Staff
Shriners Hospitals for Children - Portland

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Carmela
​de brouwer

Keller Williams Realty

​JASON
​FRISCHER, MD

Cincinnati Children's Hospital
​Colorectal Center

Jacqueline Leitzes

Director of Development
​Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children's

Dorothy Lucey

​Reporter 
Media Personality

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Trisja
​Schwartz Podesta

Child Advocate & Realtor
Compass

Mindy Wechsler

DC Chiropractor​

Evan Zahn, md

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Congenital Heart Program​

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Julia Hans

Emeritus & Founding Board Member

ROBYN MOORE

Emeritus Board Member