When my wife Kerry told me she was going to Nicaragua to help chaperone a 6-year-old girl back to Los Angeles for surgery, I didn’t hesitate for a second; I was going too.
Kerry volunteers with Mending Kids, an incredible organization that provides life-saving surgical care to children from around the world. This trip was about a little girl named Fransly. She needed an operation to remove a growth from her lip. She’d be coming to the U.S. for treatment at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, and Kerry was going to be her chaperone. There was no way I was letting her take this journey alone.
We flew out on a Friday night redeye to Miami, then had a four-hour layover before boarding the flight to Managua, Nicaragua. Once we landed, we were greeted by our driver, Richard—a fast talker, a fast driver, and full of charm. He took us to our hotel, where we checked in, had a quick dinner, and promptly crashed.
The next day was quiet and a little tense. We mostly stayed in our room, tired from the travel and waiting to meet Fransly and her father, Franklin. They arrived around 6:30 p.m., and we finally met this sweet little girl we’d heard so much about.
At that first dinner, Fransly was understandably wary of us. We were strangers, and this was a huge, confusing moment for her. But slowly, as the hours passed she began to become more comfortable.
The next morning, we had breakfast together and then headed to the airport—of course, with Richard behind the wheel again. Saying goodbye was hard. Watching them part from each other, not knowing exactly how the weeks ahead would unfold, was deeply emotional. Franklin couldn’t come with us. Fransly was afraid. This was her first time on a plane, leaving her country, and heading to a strange land with people she had just met.
In Miami, we had a layover, and it gave her a chance to speak with her family on the phone, including her dad. Hearing their voices brought her some comfort. She was so brave through it all. The fear never fully left her, but she stayed strong.
From there, it was on to Los Angeles, where she would meet her host family and begin preparing for her surgery. She’ll be in LA until May to recover, and then she’ll return home to Nicaragua—hopefully with a healed lip, a stronger sense of confidence, and a whole lot of love from people she didn’t even know existed before this journey.
About Mending Kids
Since 2005, Mending Kids has helped mend over 5,500 children from 77 countries, including here in the U.S. They deploy volunteer surgical teams, offer medical training, and work toward sustainable healthcare solutions in communities that need it most. Their impact is immense and growing.
- 5,594 children mended as of January 2, 2025
- 176 surgical mission trips completed
- 77 countries served
Thanks to Shriner’s Children’s Hospital for providing Fransly with the medical care she needs, and to American Airlines for donating her travel.
If you’d like to support the mission that brought us to Nicaragua and brought Fransly to LA, you can donate, volunteer, or just help spread the word. Every bit of support helps bring hope to more families.
