Our Little Corner of the World...

I'm taking a short break from our fabulous 

Viking Cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest...

to bring you a glimpse of what TheChief and I participated in

on July 12...

Mending Kids International 3rd Annual Hometown Mission.

Sooo...

What is Mending Kids International you ask???

I'm sure you've heard of Doctors Without Borders?

Think of them, but specifically for kids!!!

Our dear friend, Marchelle Sellers, is the Executive Director of MKI 

and when we went to her office in Burbank, CA to offer our services for volunteering...

...yeah...need I say more?

I became the designated photographer for the day!

(although, with all the cell phones and selfies going on...I'm not sure why!!!)

It was a fabulous day....

Bear with me...after over 1000 pics, I've narrowed them down to a mere 30+!!!

Sooo...Saturday morning we were up at the crack of dawn and made it over to
the Specialty Surgical Center of Beverly Hills.
Right off the bat we were in the pre-op area visiting with the kids and parents
waiting patiently for their surgeries...

Hometown Missions are primarily for kids here in the US who for one reason or another

have been turned down for surgery by their insurance company or the government insurance.

Generally, the reason they're not eligible for surgery is that the surgery is deemed 

unnecessary...possibly because the surgery needed is considered to be cosmetic or just elective
rather than "medically necessary".

An example is this beautiful little girl.  

She was born with a "Hairy Nevis", basically, it's a mole with hair growing out of it.

This little girl is getting ready to go to school...and as we all know...kids can be pretty brutal.

She was turned down as it was considered to be cosmetic.

Really???

This is exactly the kind of case that Mending Kids is here for!!!

A relatively easy surgery, and this little girl will have a much easier time

adjusting to school and all those other kids. 

All these beautiful kids absolutely stole our hearts, and the hearts of
everyone participating!!!

 

TheChief gave out badge pins...

And look who was in pre-op handing out toys and good wishes????
Yep!!!
Gene Simmons of KISS!!!

T-shirts, toys and lot's of happy moments to assuage any anxiety the kids had, waiting for surgery.

Then it's off to O.R....

 

 

...and the waiting begins...

 

Wait!!!  You mean I get to go into the O. R. too???

Check out the next installment  (just scroll down...) for what happens behind the
"Personnel Only"  doors!!!






Click on the image below to visit more little corners of the world...