Ok, this is a tough one to post. Just think what this family went through everyday!
This is 16 year old Karina who was born with glaucoma and lost her eyes at a very young age. As hard as it is to look at the before picture, imagine the family seeing their precious child like that. She was such an object of ridicule in her village she stopped leaving her house years ago and never attended any school.
Thanks to our supporters, Dra Mariela Elisa Siguencia and Hospital del Rio, Karina now has a new look and can now leave her house with her family. After a few months her eye socket and muscles will adjust to her new eyes and it will she will look even better.
As you can imagine, Karina's mother was overjoyed and thankful that a group of expats were willing to help her child in such a dramatic way.
Along with Dra Mariela, will be be looking for a special school for her to attend and be able to spend time with kids with other disabilities and perhaps have friends for the first time in her life!

Our colaboration with Exilaser continues to grow! The entire Exilaser staff are such a pleasure to work with!
This is 15 year old Cristina (also shown with her uncle and aunt). She comes from a small community outside Gualaceo of many blind and partially sighted people, mostly due to genetic problems.
When her family realized she was having headaches and poor vision, they naturally feared the worst! Fortunately, a visit and exam at Exilser showed she needed eye drops and glasses only.
Another happy HKIE and Exilaser moment.
Thank you Exilaser, Drs Miotto and Torres for your generosity with our children. And of course, thanks to all our donors who make this possible!

Another child's vision saved!
This is 15 year old Nathaly...shown with her mother and Dr. Guiseppi Miotto ( also is Dr Miotto during the Surgery).
Nathaly suffered from Keratoconus in both eyes. it is a codition in which the clear tissue on the cornea bulges outward, causing blurred vision and high sensitivity to light and glare. Today Dr. Miotto of Exilaser implanted 2 corneal rings which will flatten the cornea and thereby removing the blurred vision and light sensitivity.
Mom was crying tears of joy and thanks this morning...what a Christmas gift to Nathaly and the family! Many thanks To Dr. Miotto of Exilaser for his skill and generous heart. And of course huge thanks to our supporters who made this Christmas present possible! The gift of sight!
Also pictured is young Juan David who was born with glaucoma. HKIE has been helping with special eye drops (and a previous 2 surgeries) and his vision remains clear!

Pictured is child 384, 5 year old Maykol, who had his eye removed several years ago due to cancer. It was necessary to wait until he was through with all his chemo before he could recieve a prosthetic eye. Due to the waiting period between the eye removal and now, his eye socket needed surgery with Dra Mariela Siguencia to prepare him for his prosthethic eye.
Maykol was referred to HKIE and Dra Siguencia by the Solca Cancer Hospital in Cuenca.
Also, this week, little Carlitos had his 6th surgical procedure on his scars. What a brave little boy. All six surgeries were performed by Dr Pablo.
Today, our little cutie Jandry, was to have his surgery on the other side for his webbed hands and feet. (The results from the first surgery are so incredible you cannot tell anything was done.)
Unfortunately his hemoglobin count was too low; this afternoon he will see our pediatrician Dr Niera at Hospital del Rio. Jandry will be provided with supplements and return in a month or two for some more blood work.
Our last child is young Roberto who recieved his prosthetic eye 2 years ago and saw Dra Mariela the other day for a check up. He is doing great!
All these children have a better future thanks to our supporters and our doctors! Thanks!

Helping Kids in Ecuador (HKIE) Child 363
This is 4 year old Luis Gabriel. His left ear was significantly larger and protruder more than his other ear. You can imagine the teasing he endured! This last week, Dr. Pablo Javier Salamea Molina perfomed osteoplasty on this young child to have his ears match.
This is the fifth child helped by the money raised by The Fishbon del Sur play.
Thanks to the donors, Dr Pablo and Hospital del Rio, little Luis will look and feel like the rest of his peers.

This is David Alexander who turns 10 in 2 days. He was born with a severe hearing loss.The family lives in a small community (San Francisco) in the Amazon region about a 10 hour bus ride from Cuenca. We were contacted by Rocio of Cetap Lucy and made an appointment for a hearing test with Dr. Diego Maldonado at Hospital del Rio. He called around to get us the best deal on David's hearing aids.
As you can tell by the photo, he was so excited to be hearing. He is now very excited to get back to the classroom.
Thanks to Dr. Diego, Salud Audativa and our supporters, this young man will have a much brighter future!

Pictured is 8 year old Kelli. She has had minimal vision in her left eye since birth. Unfortunately she needed treatment and glasses to allow her brain to "see" through that eye. The doctors at this point could only give her glasses to increase vision in the left eye to 50%. Fortunately with her other eye at 20/20 she will be able to cope. Thank you Exilaser and Dr. Giuseppe Miotto for waiving the eye exam fee and for the generous discount for her glasses!
Also pictured is 13 year old Luis. Last week Dr Pablo Performed surgery on his nose and repaired his lip at Hospital Del Rio.
As he always does, Dr Pablo waived his surgical fees and Hospital Del Rio gave HKIE a significant discount! Thank You!
Both children will have improved lives thanks to our generous donors.

Pictured is 8 year old Kelli. She has had minimal vision in her left eye since birth. Unfortunately she needed treatment and glasses to allow her brain to "see" through that eye. The doctors at this point could only give her glasses to increase vision in the left eye to 50%. Fortunately with her other eye at 20/20 she will be able to cope. Thank you Exilaser and Dr. Giuseppe Miotto for waiving the eye exam fee and for the generous discount for her glasses!
Also pictured is 13 year old Luis. Last week Dr Pablo Performed surgery on his nose and repaired his lip at Hospital Del Rio.
As he always does, Dr Pablo waived his surgical fees and Hospital Del Rio gave HKIE a significant discount! Thank You!
Both children will have improved lives thanks to our generous donors.

This young man, Nixon, was poked in the eye with a stick over a year ago. Being from the countryside his family had no access to an ophthamologist so gradually over the year his eyesight deteriorated to the point of having no vision in that eye.
The family was able to contact HKIE and he was immediately seen by the doctors at Exilaser. Within days of first being seen, Nixon had eye surgery and Dr. Miottto reports that he, amazingly, now has 20/20 vision in that eye!
Our thanks go out to the doctors (Dr. Miotto and Dr Torres) and the staff of Exilaser, and of course to all our donors who made it possible for the young man to regain his sight.

The "eyes' have it!
Pictured are Victoria Veronica and Edison
16 year old Victoria has been suffering form severe headaches and blurred vision that caused her to miss.a lot of school days. She had a MRI perfromed to rule out a tumor,etc. Fortunately that test was neagtive.The doctor recommended a eye exam.. HKIE got her to Exilaser....she now is very happy with her new look and the fact she has no headaches and can see well for her studies.
Edison was born with a rare birthmark that invades the tissue or organs...in this case, his eye. He had a benign tumor and his eye removed at a very early age, but recieved no prosthesis. Dra. Mariela Siguencia of Hospital del Rio asked for the help of HKIE to make a very involved prosthetic eye for him (due to the fact of the orbit shrinking with no prosthesis). While he and his family are very excited to recieve the prosthetic eye, young 14 year old Edison is looking forward to some plastic surgery by Dr. Pablo to improve the look around his face and eye.
Thank you Dra Siguencia, Dr Pablo, Hospital del Rio and Exilaser for working with our foundation.
HKIE thanks all our donors for helping to change these two lives.