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This is 10 year old Stiven who was born with two deformed legs which did not allow him to walk or get around like other children.

Our treasurer, Luis Galarza was contacted by Protesis Imbabura in Ibarra to see if HKIE could supply prosthetics for this young man.

In the video you can see him taking his first steps. Look at the smile on his face!...what an accomplishment!

Thanks to Protesis Imbabura for their help and generous discount and to all our donors who make such miracles happen.

www.helpingkidsinecuador.org
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Fundación Rostros Felices-Cuenca
Hospital del Rio The primary hospital for HKIE & FRF-C
Dr Pablo Salamea Molina The Medical Director for HKIE & FRF-C

Heller is a two year old who had a severe cleft palate. (His cleft lip was repaired by Dr. Pablo Salamea a year and a half ago.) Dr. Pablo performed the second surgery this past week.

Diana is 4 months old with a severe cleft lip. She also had surgery with Dr. Pablo. 

Both  these children can now grow up eating and speaking properly thanks to our donors, Dr. Pablo and Hospital del Rio.
Just imagine how thankful and relieved the parents are that their children can now have a normal life and can go to school looking just like the other kids.
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​Nathaly is a 16 year old with severe myopia.

Dra Naty Torres at Exilaser reexamined her this past Friday and set her up on a regimen of eye therapy for 6 hours a day and prescribed new lenses.

Juan David at 3 1/2 was born with congenital glaucoma and HKIE sponsored his 2 eye surgeries.

Dra. Naty prescribed glasses...he was so excited he had a big smile on his face when he was tested and could see!

Thank you Exilaser, Dra. Naty and all our donors for helping these two children have improved vision!

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First is 13 year old Ariana. She was having palpitations and breathing problems. After confirming the problem was not her heart. HKIE got her to our pediatrician Dr. Neira at Hospital del Rio, who then recommended she see a pediatric endocrinologist. Following an ultrasound of Ariana's thyroid, it was discovered she has multiple cysts on her thyroid. The doctor prescribed 6 months of medicine which hopefully will do the trick. Otherwise Ariana (shown with her mom) will need surgery.

Another child was referred to us by Garry at Hogar de Esperanza. 14 year old Naomi suffered from "lazy eye" in both eyes making it difficult to read or see with both eyes moving around. Can you imagine going through life like that? Dr. Miotto from Exilaser performed surgery  on both eyes. All went well and Naomi, though she may need glasses after her eyes heal, will have normal vision.

Last is 10 year old Mariangelina. Mariangelina was also having vision problems. A quick trip to Exilaser with Jim and Jennifer Cory and a pair of glasses and Mariangelina is good to go.

Thanks to all our doctors and donors neither of these young ladies will go through life with limited vision.

14 year old Pablo had an eye condition which caused his corneas to bulge out in a cone shape, severely impairing his vision. Dr. Miotto of Exilaser reached out to HKIE as the parents were unable to afford a double eye surgery. Special rings were placed in his eyes. He is shown here post surgery with Dr. Miotto.

Also having surgery this last week was 5 year old Cristal. Before Christmas Cristal received a pair of glasses to take the strain off and improve the vision in her one eye. (Cristal's one eye was unformed at birth). The surgery last week was performed by Dr. Pablo Salamea and Dra. Mariela Siguencia to prepare her eye socket for a prosthetic eye which she will receive when her eye heals.
Cristal is shown reuniting with Jim Cory. Two children and two families who will have better lives thanks to our donors and the generosity of our doctors and hospitals.

Little 1 year 4 month old Franklin had been waiting for 2 months for the hospitals to clear enough to get his hernia surgery. Not being old enough to understand why he needed to wait...he was in a lot of pain. Thanks to Sister veronica Kim from Palmar and the Roberto Gilbert Hospital in Guayaquil, Franklin is now pain free. A thank you also goes out to Luis Galarza for working with the family to make this surgery happen.

2 year old Patricio had his severe cleft palate repaired by our own Pablo Salamea. His family is thankful he can now grow up eating and speaking correctly.

HKIE and Dr. Pablo Salamea have been very busy this past week with new patients!

First is 2 year old Adrian, needing cleft palate surgery. Dr. Pablo had corrected his cleft lip a little over a year ago and now after this surgery, Adrian will be able to eat and speak correctly.
Next is 5 year old Kenia. She too had a cleft palate which Dr. Pablo was asked to repair. Due to the fact her parents were unable to get Kenia's surgery at the normal age of 1 1/2 years, she will need lots of help improving her speech.
Finally is little Isabella. Some may remember her case...after birth she was hospitalized with oxygen...the canula scratched the inside of her nose. Isabella developed a severe infection which ate away most of the inside and outside of her nose. Dr. Pablo Salamea, Dra Mariella Siguencia, and Dr. Diego Maldonado have been working together to recreate her nose. This is her 8th surgery performed over the last two years...the doctors each time replacing the nasal prosthesis to enable her to breathe.
Little Isabella and her family are real troopers and are so thankful to HKIE and our donors, and the doctors for working so hard to return Isabella's life back to normal.

Two eye surgeons at Hospital del Rio asked Dr Pablo if HKIE would sponsor this child. Of course we said yes!
Little 8 year old Ariana's eye was injured from a rock, causing a film not unlike that from glaucoma to cover her cornea. Dra. Elizabeth Pacheco and her sister Dr. Michele Pacheco performed a corrective surgery and placed a special lens in her eye. The doctors report the surgery went very well and the patient and her family are so happy and relieved that her severe eye injury has been corrected. 
​A huge thank you goes out to the entire surgical team for waiving their fees and for the generous discount from Hospital del Rio.