Our friend,Rocio Illescas,of CETAP Lucy, was for many years a missionary in the Oriente where she worked with some of the poorest communities in Ecuador....
Recently she decided to revisit the area and met a family whose 9 year old son has suffered all of his life from congenital heart disease. The mother told Rocio that she had been told that the surgery Jhander needed was not available in Ecuador. While this type of surgery is expensive, it is available at a few of the major private hospitals in Ecuador.

Rocio sent us the pictures of Jhander asking for our help and we sent them to Dr. Pablo Javier Salamea Molina who immediately sent them to Dr. Veronca Vasquez, a pediatric cardiac surgeon here in Cuenca. Upon reviewing the pictures, Dr. Veronica informed Dr Pablo that Jhander needed to get to a hospital ASAP.

Jhander and his mother rode three different buses for 12 hours to arrive in Cuenca.
The mother fully understands the heart surgery that Jhander needs is a difficult one but she also understands that without the surgery his life expectancy is very short. All she wants is for Jhander to be given the chance for a full normal life.

Jhander's medical condition is similar to that of Daniel Alejandro. Daniel had his life saving surgery two years ago. We hope and pray that Jhander's surgery will be as successful as Daniel's.
All of us at HKIE understand the risks involved in this type of surgery However, because we have such loyal supporters, we have the financial resources and the medical contacts to offer the surgery, how could we deny Jhander this opportunity? We can't and won't.

The surgery is scheduled for Tuesday in Cuenca at Mt Sinai Hospital. The surgeons are cautiously optimistic that Jhander's surgery will successful.
Jhander needs all the prayers coming his way as he goes through this life saving surgery.

​helpingkidsinecuador.org
Fundacion Rostros Felices-Cuenca

This is HKIE's first child that attends the the Melvin Jones School for the handicapped in La Libertad that we were able to help. Dayana will be five on Tuesday... she has two sisters and her Mother, Marjorie, pictured below. Dayana was born severely handicapped and needed leg braces and a brace for her left arm. HKIE was able to have these made and provide for her. She will continue to have therapy and hopefully will be able to walk soon with the aid of the braces and time. After receiving the braces which are inside her shoes, she was delighted with her new pair of zapatos. Her family is very poor and her mother does not work and the government no longer gives the family monthly support since three years ago. The only support that they were receiving was from Marjorie's father who is now disabled himself: he lost a toe to diabetes a few weeks ago. HKIE will continue to monitor the progress of Dayana and her family and will keep you posted. Thank all of the supporters of HKIE who made this little girl and her family extremely happy.
Thanks to the Thomas Engel Foundation for our association with you. We have witnessed your good works and hope that we can contribute to that in Ecuador. Muchas Gracious.