Romero Britto joins the fight for children's surgery in Brazil

This month, world-renowned artist Romero Britto welcomed the Kids Operating Room team to his iconic Britto Palace to shine a light on a critical issue: the lack of access to safe surgical care for children in Brazil.

Brazil’s healthcare system is under immense pressure and struggling to meet the surgical needs of its vast pediatric population. That needs to change.

The event brought together Romero Britto, KidsOR co-founder Garreth Wood, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Maija Cheung, and KidsOR USA Chair Lili Buffett for an urgent conversation on expanding surgical capacity for children across Brazil.

A powerful message from Brazilian pediatric surgeon Dr. Fabio Botelho captured the daily reality doctors face:

“Every day, pediatric surgeons across Brazil are forced into heartbreaking decisions: Do we operate knowing the conditions aren’t safe? Or wait, knowing the child’s condition could get worse? We’re constantly working at the edge of what’s possible.”

Dr. Botelho described the lengths surgeons go to - making their own surgical tools, sterilizing equipment by hand - just to continue saving lives in under-resourced hospitals.

Thanks to Britto’s support and the generosity of donors, KidsOR is now closer to bringing two fully equipped pediatric operating rooms to hospitals in Recife and Belo Horizonte. These surgical spaces will feature solar-powered systems, dedicated recovery areas, and tools tailored to children’s care—resources that will directly save lives.

With the combined force of art, advocacy, and action, we can build a future where no child in Brazil is denied surgery simply because of where they’re born. Together, we’re rebuilding hope—one OR at a time.

Recent Posts