Celebrating 11 Years of Lao Friends Hospital for Children

Every anniversary of Lao Friends Hospital for Children is a milestone worth celebrating. It takes real, sustained commitment from our team, our partners, and our donors to make free healthcare for children in need possible year after year, and for that, we are grateful!

Our founder and Honorary President, Mr. Kenro Izu, joined us alongside Ms. Nicole Pagourgis, Executive Director of Friends Without a Border, and Dr. Robert Winokur, Hospital Director of LFHC. Together, they spoke about achievements reached this past year and what those advances mean in practical terms: safer care, better outcomes, and a stronger hospital for children across Northern Laos.

We were also honored to welcome the Deputy Governor of Luang Prabang Province and the Deputy Governor of the Provincial Health Department. Both spoke to the role LFHC now plays at a national level, not just as a hospital, but as a center for pediatric training and a model for what's possible.

The most memorable moment of the day came when Dr. Pom Sodaluck was presented with her winner's trophy as a recipient of the Women of the Future 2025 Award in the Professional category. Dr. Pom was recognized for her leadership as Director of Medical Education and her pivotal role in establishing the first dedicated Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Northern Laos, a unit that has already saved lives that would otherwise have been lost.

Eleven years in, none of this exists without the people who believed in this mission early and have stayed with it. This anniversary was, above all, a thank you to every donor, volunteer, and supporter who has made that continuity possible.

And there's more to look forward to. Friends Without a Border will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year! More to come soon on how we'll mark three decades together.