Hi, I’m Alexandra Jagelman. I have been living and working in Southeast Asia as a primary healthcare professional for more than two decades.
I’m passionate about holistic care, strong, healthy families, and community transformation. One way I achieve this is by advocating for and facilitating medical and surgical treatment for needy children in the Upper Mekong Region.
This blog is my small contribution to making the world a better place by sharing stories of hope and healing.
My family and I have been living and working in Southeast Asia since 1997. During that time, we’ve had some amazing adventures and met some even more amazing people.
Some of these people have needed a little extra care and support to receive medical treatment, especially surgeries. Friends, family and local community have all chipped in to help make these surgeries possible.
Sometimes children with medical and surgical needs in the Mekong Region are not given the care they need due to fear that the cost of treatment is beyond the family’s means. Often, these children are not able to attend school thus limiting their options for a bright future.
Over the past 20 years, I have seen better access to medical and surgical treatment, especially for Chinese children. There are now government medical insurance schemes and at times charity events for specific medical or surgical treatments. Here, the role Mekong Hope Surgical Fund plays is advocacy and as a liaison between patients and opportunities. If a patient’s family is poor, Mekong Hope Surgical Fund will pay for transportation and meals for the duration of the hospital stay.
For patients coming from conflict-affected Northeast Myanmar, we help obtain legal travel permits, provide translators and offer pre and post-surgery support. The vast majority of patients coming from this region are very poor, often have a history of trauma, are uneducated and suspicious. This region is notorious for all forms of trafficking, including human trafficking. Patients that have received help, support and surgery through Mekong Hope Surgical Fund have become our biggest advocates. Local officials on both sides of the border also go out of their way to help provide surgery to such patients.
Mekong Hope is not a formal organisation
Mekong Hope Surgical Fund is not a registered organization or a formal fund. It is a personal fund for friends to help friends. This website is our attempt to share stories of good people doing good things.