Healing The Children provides needed quality medical care for underserved children throughout the world and advances medical skills and resources in developing countries. Healing the Children Northeast is a Connecticut based non-profit organization founded in 1985. At the end of 2025 our Northeast Chapter has provided services to 64,586 children through our three programs.
Our Medical Teams Abroad Program reaches across national boundaries to provide our world’s children with desperately needed medical care. We arrange teams of volunteer doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, and other medical professionals to go to less developed countries where they provide medical treatments and surgeries for children in need.
During 2025 our Medical Teams Abroad Program sent out 14 teams consisting of Facial Plastic, Cleft Lip and Palate, Speech Pathology, and Dental Specialties. These teams traveled to Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Tanzania and Kenya. 195 team members traveled with us this year, of which 71 were new members.
Facial Plastics/Cleft
Speech
Dental
Facial Plastics/Maxillofacial surgery, cleft lip and palate/microtia (ear), Speech Pathology, Burn and hand reconstruction, dental services such as extractions, minor oral surgery, filings, hygiene and education.
Our Cleft Teams treat cleft lip and palate deformities which are two types of birth defects that occur during the early stages of pregnancy. When the nose, lip, palate and jaw are supposed to fuse but fail to do so, results in a deformity known as a cleft lip or palate. The cleft lip is a gap in between the nose and mouth, while the cleft palate is a huge fissure on the roof of the mouth. This deformity can make eating, drinking, speaking and in some cases breathing difficult.
Millions of children where we travel go untreated and live in isolation. Cleft surgery is simple and the results are life altering.
*For as little as $20.83 per month you could support one child’s cleft repair.
The International Inbound Program brings children from developing countries to the United States where we match the needs of the child with a volunteer doctor and/or hospital with that specialty. We arrange for travel to the U.S., as well as visas for the child and parent. A volunteer host family is found who will open their home for the child and parent while the child is receiving medical treatment in the U.S.
In 2020 our International Inbound Program helped 52 children from South Sudan, Ethiopia and Peru.
The Domestic Kids Program has evolved over the years and is now an annual Medical Career Scholarship to New Milford High School seniors who plan to pursue a career in the medical field.
In 2024 we presented 3 local high school seniors with scholarships and also provided 97 dental hygiene bags to children in New York.
In early September we received a message from former patient Renita of Belize. Renita came through our program in 2017 – 2018 and received surgery and medical treatment in Westchester County New York. She resided in the host home of Stephen and Mary Tracy.
Renita has Spina Bifida and the surgery she received helped her to be able to walk and ride a bicycle. Her recent message updated us on the recent hurricane and a brief medical update. She has asked for assistance in providing her with a new pair of shoes and new leg / foot braces. We are working on the details of helping Renita receive what she needs.
Photo of Renita on the left and her sister Rayana on the right
Subscribe with your email address to stay up to date.