What a year 2025 has been! As Director of Programs and Partnerships, I am excited to report to you, our volunteers, donors, and well-wishers, what we have accomplished this year.

La Familia Eye Center (LFEC) continues to be a powerhouse program, with 10 local ophthalmologists, a residency program and a fellowship program. Under the direction of Dra. Claudia Terraza and Dra. Melanie Gil, the local surgeons performed 9,827 surgeries and visiting U.S. doctors performed an additional 501 surgeries. Over 10,000 patients were seen at the LFEC, and the addition of a new optometry clinic has been an immediate success!

Our Maternal and Child Wellness program expanded, with outreach health checks to 3 villages surrounding Nuevo Progreso. The HdlF team tested kids in 15 elementary schools and found that 72% of them were underweight for their age group. Chronic malnutrition affected 35% of the same group. Over 4500 children received the nutritional supplement Plumpy Nut. HdlF treated 113 malnourished children, of whom 16 required in-patient care. Over 675 women attended weekly nutrition education classes, and 120 families received food assistance and support.

Our visiting OBGYN’s and nurses saw over 370 women at both HdlF and at outreach clinics in the rural communities. The teams have been holding regular sessions with the local comadronas (midwives) to provide resources and education. The comadronas also provide vital feedback on what is needed in the various communities.

Women’s health is critical to addressing the cycle of malnutrition, and we are actively looking at how we can most effectively expand the services offered at HdlF. A new ultrasound has been a huge hit with patients, who are thrilled to see their babies for the first time! Seeing women for an evaluation early in their pregnancy offers the best opportunity to identify at risk pregnancies and to stress the importance of self-care and nutrition. It’s a natural transition to the weekly education classes at HdlF, which have become a source of strength in community for the women who attend.

In 2025, over 388 surgeries were performed outside of ophthalmology, and nearly 10,000 patients were seen. Specialties included General, OBGYN, ENT, Audiology, Plastics, Urology, and the newest addition, Microtia (ear reconstruction).

The services offered at HdlF are possible because of the incredible support we receive from our amazing volunteers, and our donors. As always, we hope that one day we will not be needed, but for the foreseeable future, the services of HdlF Foundation are critical.

We wish you the happiest of holidays and a wonderful 2026.