Out of 340+ children seen this week, 4 became children we’ll continue to follow in ongoing care

I just returned from a week of clinics in El Salvador and I wanted to give you all an update and say thank you to anyone who helped make this possible. Your ongoing support means the world to me and to these kids.

We had the opportunity of setting up clinics in 4 different locations. 3 of the locations serve their own centralized communities. The 4th location is a community center that acts as a central meeting point for 50+ different communities in the surrounding areas. In some of the communities people might live close by, but in others people start walking before sunrise to get there by the start of clinic at 9am. Some of these families might have walked for 4-5 hours in the dark just to be seen.

All 340+ children seen this week also have the opportunity for follow-up care when Extra Mile Pediatrics returns in six months (and every 6 months). This work is part of an ongoing effort to provide more consistent access to healthcare over time and make sure every child is seen, heard, and cared for.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, access to basic healthcare is not accessible by a great majority. And just to give you an idea - generally people won't go to the doctor there unless it is life threatening.

They might walk for hours just to get to a place where they can catch a bus. After catching the bus, they take a 30 minute drive to the clinic. Once in the clinic they might wait anywhere from 3-8 hours to be seen. After being seen, the doctor might tell them a medication they need to get from the local pharmacy (which they would also have to take the bus to). The problem is, they've already lost a day of work and spent all their money to get to the clinic today. So most of the time there is nothing left for the pharmacy or the medication - so they just opt not to be seen.

Seeing this up close changes how you understand access entirely.

It’s easy to complain about our healthcare system, and it’s not perfect. It is truly broken in many ways. But we do live in a place where access is not usually the barrier. If your child is sick, they can be seen by a physician & you don't have to wait days, weeks, or even months for it to become critical before seeking help.

I'm so grateful to be able to partner with Extra Mile Pediatrics again and to be a part of bringing healthcare access to marginalized groups in El Salvador. It's been through my many trips with them over the years that my eyes have been opened to even greater gaps of care that still exist.

Imagine the hurdles just to get your child to the doctor the few times a year when they are sick. Now imagine if you have a child with physical or speech limitations, special needs, complex medical needs, or more that would require access to ongoing follow-up medical care. These resources either don't exist or they are inaccessible to the masses. Kids that might need physical therapy, speech therapy, or any sort of complex care follow ups are left to try to figure it out on their own. This leaves kids being unable to walk or talk, when if just given the opportunity, they might thrive.

Out of 340 children seen this week, 4 became children we’ll continue to follow in ongoing care. When you know their name, it changes things.

So I'm on a mission to change their trajectory. My goal this trip was to find around 5 kids with physical limitations and start providing them resources, equipment, knowledge, and expertise that will give them a chance. I never claim to have all the answers, but the least I can do is try.

I was lucky enough to find 4 kids this trip I believe I can help, and I'm already learning of possibly 1 more in another community. My next step is to start collecting some essential items that will help me get started and to consult a physical therapist so we can develop a plan of care for each of them. I see the potential in each of them. I see a light in their eyes and a fire in their hearts that says they want to try. They have the will and determination, they just need someone to believe in them.

I got to sit with each of these kids and their families for about an hour each. We talked about what they were capable of, what their limitations were, and I was able to assess each child thoroughly. I had meaningful time with each of these families. I got a chance to show them my heart for helping kids like theirs and in that intimacy they knew they were seen. Parents cried, I cried, and these beautiful moments ministered to both of our hearts in ways I couldn't have prepared for.

Because this work isn't just about helping kids learn to walk - it's showing these families that someone sees them, not as a disability, but as a human being. That someone sees their potential and wants to nurture the seeds and watch them grow. This isn't just a ministry of mobility, it's a ministry of the heart. My heart will forever be with kids like these and I'm grateful for each and every person who has supported or continues to support me so that I can continue showing up for these families.

So from the bottom of my heart thank you all for being there for me. Please continue to pray for this work. Pray for these kids. Pray that lives and hearts will be changed. Pray that the light of Jesus will prevail even in some of the darkest circumstances. Pray for resources and equipment. Pray for finances so that I can keep doing this work. And lastly, pray that God will continue to show me His heart for His people.

You can access my Amazon wishlist here. I’ll be returning in just two weeks to see these kids again and begin building a therapy program. If you’d like to be involved in a tangible way, this is a meaningful way to help right now - by helping provide critical resources for these children.