April 2026 Newsletter
An inaugural event and an impactful early spring
This Mother's Day, we showed up for Moms everywhere through the first 'Night For Our Children'
Mother’s Day this year, we reflected on how much of this work centered on moms.
Mothers learning how to care for their children. Mothers receiving the information they needed earlier. Mothers finding support where there had once been none.
From a first-ever fundraising gala in Ethiopia, to ways we honored moms during the season, to the progress already unfolding in 2026. Here is what we saw.
A friendship and fundraising gathering was hosted by our close partners at the Alliance for Birth Defects, with ReachAnother supporting alongside them. This partnership reflected a shared mission and vision: making sure children born with neural tube defects received the care and support they needed to grow and thrive.
The Alliance for Birth Defects continued to grow as a local organization working to support children and families affected by birth defects. Their leadership stood as a powerful example of what communities looked like when they took ownership of solutions and built a future from within. Seeing this work led locally remained deeply encouraging and meaningful.
PARENT FORUM: A Day For Families
One of our favorite moments this quarter didn’t happen in the operating room; it was at the Rotary/ReachAnother Parent Forum where families came together to learn, ask questions, and connect with each other and the teams caring for their children.
There were conversations about, prevention, aftercare and what daily life really looks like. It was also a time to simply sit together and share experiences.
For the first time, the children have a dedicated space to themselves, with drawing, painting and reading activities. Their laughs were such a joy. It reminded us that our work isn’t just about surgery; it’s about helping families feel confident, supported and less alone
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT AFTERCARE MEANS FOR BABIES BORN WITH SPINA BIFIDA?
Surgery can save a child’s life, but aftercare is what helps them thrive.
This video offers a glimpse into the real journey after the hospital: continence care, physical therapy, and family support that changes what’s possible.
REACHING EVERY CENTER WITH ULTRASOUND TRAINING
This quarter, clinical teams in Gondar and Bahir Dar completed ultrasound training, the last two partner hospitals to receive it.
With that, every one of ReachAnother’s Centers of Excellence has now received both ultrasound equipment and the training to use it in the spina bifida and hydrocephalus multidisciplinary clinics
Ultrasound is a simple tool, but it helps medical teams catch complications before they become emergencies.
It also means that families can get earlier care, have fewer complications and that more children are getting the right treatment when they need it.
