Ali Curtis Photography

08/19/2021

She said yes!

07/02/2021

It is with a great sense of honor and heartfelt thanks that we announce the release of "A Vision of Hope: The First 20 Years of IMAHelps." This beautifully illustrated book documents how the tragedies in the lives of Ines Allen and Tracey D. Allen prompted them to create, nurture and sustain a one-of-a-kind nonprofit organization whose 130 volunteers have brought healthcare and hope to over 100,000 impoverished men, women and children in nine countries over the past 20 years. IMAHelps volunteers have performed over 2,500 life-changing and life-saving surgeries, from cleft lip and club foot repairs to pacemaker implants and other critical surgical interventions. Our prosthetics team has fitted more than 400 patients in six countries with artificial limbs, enabling them to get up out of their wheelchairs and walk again. "I can't tell you how many tears I shed, interviewing our volunteers and sharing their stories about the many ways this organization has not only changed the lives of their patients, but their own lives, too, as well as the lives of their children who have volunteered with them," said Jeff Crider, an IMAHelps volunteer who wrote the book. Jeff has personally witnessed many of the miracles described in the book since he has been on the front lines of almost every IMAHelps mission since 2008. We are especially grateful for several of Jeff's clients who have underwritten the cost of printing this 176-page book. This way, ALL of the proceeds IMAHelps receives from book donations can be used to pay for medicines and supplies for our missions. IMAHelps is requesting donations of at least $40 for each book. To request books, please send a check to IMAHelps, P.O. Box 2727, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270, along with a note indicating how many books you would like to receive and where they should be sent. We appreciate your support for our missions and hope you will enjoy reading this book, which captures the compassion and humanity of our volunteers from the Coachella Valley and across the nation who are truly committed to make a positive difference in this world.

07/01/2021

Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 3 and join your hiking guides Bill and Gail for a walk up Vista Trail on this weekend's Kenai Refuge Discovery Hike!

Park in Upper Skilak Campground, walk over the footbridge to the left of the boat launch and meet up at the trailhead in A-loop for a 2pm start. Wear comfortable shoes, bring insect repellant and water. Plan for a 2-hour hike with moderate elevation gain. Please leave dogs at home. Open to ages 12+.

05/14/2020

Still physical distancing. Welcome to our new norm, world! (From early March, before sheltering began.)

03/22/2020

The beauty of the desert.

02/25/2020

This memory and this photo make my heart smile. Find something that makes you angry then contribute your time and talents to change it.

Behind every one of these numbers is a person whose life was impacted by the Every Heartbeat Matters community. This is .

09/24/2019

So excited to see my work supporting such a great cause!

As word spread in Luque, Paraguay that a group of volunteer doctors and medical professionals arrived to give free healthcare, the line of people stretched for blocks, some even spending the night …

08/25/2019

“You've gotta' dance like there's nobody watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like there's nobody listening, and live like it's heaven on earth.”
~ M. Twain

08/11/2019

This amazing little human is four year old Andres and he came to IMA Helps 2017 mission two years ago. He has apert syndrome which often is accompanied by syndactyly, a fusing of the fingers and toes. While Andres mom knew we couldn't help with his other problems she asked if we could please fix his fingers so he could play and write and hold things. She came on the second to last day of the 2017 mission and the surgical team wasn't able to fit him into the already overbooked schedule. Jen Padilla had to tell mom that we couldn't make it happen. She stayed all day that day and when she returned the next day, said that she was hoping and praying that the answer had changed; it hadn’t. That was 2017. This year she brought him back on day one of the mission. Dr Tiner, Sam Hall, and Dr Cosgrove spent multiple hours in surgery, carefully separating Andre's little fingers and grafting skin where needed. A day after surgery, Andre was all smiles, and his perseverant mama cried with gratitude at the freedom that IMA Helps just gave her son. @ Hospital General de Luque
See more great stories at www.alicurtisphotography.com

08/03/2019

Meet 4 year old Mauricio. He was born with a twisted leg. IMA Helps, Dr Todd and Dr Hector fixed that leg and Gloria Reyes taught him how to use crutches til he gets back on his feet. What an amazing group of people; I’m honored to have played a part. More stories at www.alicurtisphotography.com @ Hospital General de Luque

07/30/2019

“Helping one person may not change the world, but it will change you forever.” @ Hospital General de Luque