History of HEDS UP for Los Niņos

In February 2001 my wife Caryn and myself, along with our close friends Tom and Jenny Crocker, signed up for a short-term medical mission to Guatemala. The first day were asked by the mission team leaders to evaluate an orphanage they had heard about as a site for future mission trips. This visit led us to a hospital and an orphanage in Patzun Guatemala. When we first visited this facility we saw 35 children from infants to teenagers living in an orphanage that was in disrepair and in financial crisis. Located in the highlands of Guatemala near Lake Atitlan the children were cared for as best they could by the Franciscans Sisters from Patzun. They had food, clothing and shelter but resources were in short supply to counter the cold nights and stark environment the children faced on a daily basis. Many of the children suffered damage from early years of life due to malnutrition, environmental deprivation and abuse, stunting their growth and even worse their potential to become healthy and educated adults.

Over the past several years we have had many trips to Patzun and other communities. We have developed a passion to help these children and we have worked with the people and leaders of these communities seeking to help improve the basic infrastructure of their community. The final result has been the development of this organization that is dedicated to make significant changes to help children break out of the cycle of poverty that is robbing them of their God given opportunity to live a long and productive life in His Kingdom.