Blog Posts

Meet our Child 765

9/19/2022

This is 11-year-old Jeshua who has been living with a cleft palate his whole life.
Normally cleft palate surgery takes place at about 1 1/2 years. However, Jeshua's family did not have the money to get this very necessary surgery done.
Fortunately this past week Dr. Pablo Salamea was able to correct his cleft palate so Jeshua will now be able to eat and speak more correctly.
Additionally, Dr. Pablo corrected his drooping lower eyelid.
We posted the other day: Dr. Pablo in surgery and Jeshua's mom thanking him, the hospital, and HKIE for helping her little boy have a better life.
As they both have been doing for 7 years, Dr. Pablo waived his surgical fees and the hospital gave us a generous discount.
If you wish to help other children in our waiting list please contact us and donate at

Meet our patient 764

9/19/2022

Our child 764 is 19 year old Patricia who was going blind from glaucoma due to some prescribed medicine for a totally unrelated condition.

Dr. Andres Diaz from Hospital del Rio in Cuenca, was able to insert a valve into the one eye that will control the pressure and allow her to retain vision in that eye. (Unfortunately the other eye is too damaged to restore vision in.)

Thanks to Dr. Andres for waiving his surgical fees and to the hospital for giving us a generous discount. We also want to thank our very loyal donors for allowing this young lady to have the gift of sight!

Meet our Child 763.

9/19/2022

This is 14 year old Alonzo from Manta, in the Province of Manabí.
His breast bone was growing inward and causing heart and organ problems. He got out of ICU yesterday and will go home in one to two days.
The doctors at Roberto Gilbert Hospital in Guayaquil had to cut his sternum in two places to correct the inward growth. It was a long and difficult surgery but now Alonzo and his family know he can continue to grow without worries about his heart and organs.
Thanks to the doctors at Roberto Gilbert for their discount, to Luis Galarza or Coastal representative for all his efforts in arranging this surgery, and of course you, our very loyal donors!

Meet 2 year old Maria Celeste, from Gualaceo, Province of Azuay. she is our child 762.

9/19/2022

A year and a half ago she had her cleft lip repaired, and this past week, after reaching the appropriate age, Dr. Pablo Salamea repaired her cleft palate.
Now this little one has a chance to grow up looking and speaking normally.

Thanks so much to our donors in the name of our kids!

So many children helped by HKIE ! Meet our Children 758, 759, 760 and 761.

9/19/2022

Thanks to Fundación Metrofraternidad and Hospital Metropolitano Quito for continuing their monthly missions and for working with us.
Child 758 is 16 year old Isaac, and 759 is 10 year old Alexander. Both these boys suffered from keratoconus, which is when the cornea bulges outward causing severe vision problems.
Child 760 is 4 year old Jhon whose eyelashes were growing inward. We all know how irritating one eyelash in the eye can be...imagine all of them touching your eye. The doctors cauterized the lashes in the hope of them regrowing correctly.
Last is child 761, 4 year old Valentina. She had a non cancerous growth at her eye which was removed.
All four children now have corrected vision and a chance to lead a normal life. Thanks to the eye surgeons at Hospital Metropolitano for donating her expertise, to the Hospital Metropolitano and Fundación Metrofraternidad for working with HKIE and of course to all our donors for helping HKIE improve the lives of these children!

Meet our children:755, 756 and 757. More children with improved vision!

9/19/2022

Fundación Metrofraternidad and
Hospital Metropolitano Quito did more eye missions this past month and HKIE sponsored these three.

8 year old Martina had strabismus in both eyes making it very difficult to focus on things, especially the written word. (In pink)

5 year old Cristine suffered from Aphakia, a condition in which the eye has no lens. This condition causes everything to be totally blurry!

Thanks to Fundacion Metrofraternidad, the volunteerism of the doctors at Hospital Metropolitano and our loyal donors, there are now three little ones who have a decent chance at life with normal vision.

6 year old Yamaleth also suffered from severe strabismus (lazy eye).

Meet our Children 753 and 754.

9/19/2022

Child 753 is 3 year old Pedro from Recinto San Antonio near Guayaquil. He was born with Hypospadias....where the opening of the urethra is in the incorrect position.
This can cause problems in urinating and also sexual disfunction as he gets older. Fortunately he had corrective surgery this past week at Hospital Roberto Gilbert in Guayaquil and he now has the opportunity to live a normal life.
The look on Pedro's says " What part of me you think you will be operating on? I don't think so!
Child 754 is 8 year old Joseph from La Libertad, near Salinas,Province of Santa Elena. He received a very needed pair of glasses through HKIE and GOP Eye Clinic in Salinas.
Two children with better lives thanks to our doctors and our donors!

Our child 752 is 1 year old Karla

9/19/2022

Karla recently received a life saving heart surgery at Hospital Metropolitano in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador.

Karla had the duct between her two heart arteries closed. The Ductus Arteriosus normally closes within days after birth; when it does not the heart works twice as hard as normal and the lungs can be filled with excess blood, both which endanger the child's life.

Karla has been resting and being monitored most of the month at the hospital. The doctors feel she is doing well and will be able to return home soon.

Thanks to the doctors at Hospital Metropolitano Quito and Fundación Metrofraternidad , and all the Very loyal HKIE donors who make these miracles happen!
Isn't she a cutie!

These are our Children 750 and 751

9/19/2022

Child 750 is 16 year old Samantha. Several months ago she came home, turned on the lights and was enveloped in an explosion. She was severely burned, especially on her legs, and spent over a month in the hospital. She has been released but needs to continue treating her burns for 3 more months. HKIE stepped in and purchased her supplies so she can continue to heal properly.

Child 751 is 10 year old Jonathan from Macas who lost his eye several years ago in a school yard accident. Dra. Mariela Siguencia from Hospital del Rio fashioned a prosthetic eye. Unfortunately as he grew it became too small and he lost it. Here he is with his new prosthetic eye, looking perfectly normal.
Thanks to all those involved in helping these children and a special thanks to our donors for making this possible!

Meet our Child 749.

9/19/2022

This is 8 year old Valerie from the Cuenca area. She was referred to HKIE by our friends Jim and Jennifer Cory.
Valerie was having fevers and problems breathing to the point she was often unable to keep food down.

Yesterday Dr. Diego Maldonado, our ENT surgeon at Hospital del Rio, removed her tonsils and adenoids. She did great with the surgery and was able to return home the same day. This surgery will give her the opportunity to grow and be healthy.

Dr Diego waived his surgical fees ( He always does) and the hospital, as always, gave us a generous discount. Thank you!