27ViernesNoviembre
LlegadaThe families arrive in Barranquilla.
International Gathering
The children who had surgery inside their mothers' wombs meet for the first time in Barranquilla.
28
November 2026Saturday · Cubo de Cristal, Barranquilla
In ·· days
Sunday 29 · Concierto «Por la Vida»
Ten children from six countries, who had surgery before birth →
Organisers, supporters and sponsors
Musical adaptation · Charity event
Concert
for life
A live show with the songs from Moana, Inside Out, Super Mario, Lilo & Stitch and KPop Demon Hunters, with the characters on stage. It is the encounter's charity concert.
29SundayNovember 2026
1st show · 4:00 p.m.2nd show · 7:00 p.m.
Cubo de Cristal · Plaza de la Paz, Barranquilla
Buy ticketsTickets at entradadirecta.com.co
Photos from earlier performances of the show.
Each of these families received a difficult diagnosis one day. And another day they learned their baby could have surgery before birth. This gathering celebrates that second day.
The stories
The children who today are growing up healthy
Ten children from six countries, who had surgery before birth. Six of their families tell their story in their own voice.
-
Madrid, Spain Maia
«Verla crecer, sonreír y disfrutar de la vida es el regalo más hermoso que podíamos recibir.»«Watching her grow, smile and enjoy life is the most beautiful gift we could have received.»
When they learned their baby had gastroschisis, they lived through days of fear and uncertainty. Today, her parents say, Maia is «healthy, active and full of life».
- Gastroschisis
- Operated on before birth on July 11, 2025
- 11 meses old
- No other surgery
The first baby in Europe born cured of gastroschisis.
Maia Celeste and her parents -
Guatemala Julián
«No hubiera sido lo mismo sin su ayuda. La historia hubiera sido otra completamente.»«It would not have been the same without their help. The story would have been completely different.»
- Operated on before birth, a year ago
- 9 meses old
-
Venezuela Maia
- Born on April 14, 2025
- 18 meses old
-
Panama Belén
- Born on August 23, in Panama City
-
Villahermosa, Mexico Ian Rafael
«Hoy nuestro bebé es un símbolo de amor, de fortaleza, de paz.»«Today our baby is a symbol of love, of strength, of peace.»
- 5 meses old
-
Gastroschisis Dulce María
«Mi pequeña guerrera desde antes de nacer ya era una luchadora.»«My little warrior was already a fighter before she was born.»
- Operated on before birth
- 2 meses old
-
Ibagué, Colombia Lísney's baby
«Mi bebé es un niño muy alegre, sano y fuerte.»«My baby is a very happy boy, healthy and strong.»
- Gastroschisis, operado before birth
- Born by natural birth
- Referred by Dr. Juan Pablo Piraquive
-
Ibagué, Colombia Noa
«Mi mayor bendición se llama Noa.»«My greatest blessing is called Noa.»
- Gastroschisis, operado before birth
- At Clínica General del Norte
- Referred by Dr. Juan Pablo Piraquive
-
Ibagué, Colombia Nicolás
«En medio de tanto miedo y preocupación encontramos esperanza.»«In the middle of so much fear and worry, we found hope.»
- Gastroschisis, operado before birth
- At Clínica General del Norte, por vaginal birth
- Referred by Dr. Juan Pablo Piraquive
-
Ibagué, Colombia Caleb
«La fe, la ciencia y las manos de grandes profesionales pueden cambiar una historia.»«Faith, science and the hands of great professionals can change a story.»
- Gastroschisis, diagnosed at 21 semanas
- Operated on in the womb at 24 semanas
- Born by natural birth, in Ibagué
- Referred by Dr. Juan Pablo Piraquive
About
The first international gathering of children who had surgery inside the womb
It is for children who had surgery before birth: for gastroschisis, when the bowel comes out of the abdomen through an opening beside the navel; for myelomeningocele, a form of spina bifida; or for another condition. Gastroschisis has a special place here, because the world's first successful intrauterine surgery to correct it was performed in Barranquilla. The children come from different countries, and on November 28 they meet for the first time.
When
November 27 to 29, 2026. The gathering is on Saturday the 28th, from 9:00 a.m.
Where
Cubo de Cristal, Plaza de la Paz, beside the Metropolitan Cathedral. See on the map →
Who
The children who had surgery before birth and their families, the doctors who treated them, and guests from institutions, companies and the press.
What for
So the children can meet each other, and so more doctors and more families learn that fetal surgery exists.
Conditions the team treats before birth
Swipe to see all 8
- 01
Myelomeningocele
The most severe form of spina bifida: the spine does not close and the spinal cord is exposed.
- 02
Gastroschisis
The bowel comes out of the abdomen through an opening beside the navel.
- 03
Hepato-omphalocele
The liver and part of the bowel come out through the navel, inside a membrane.
- 04
Twin-to-twin transfusion
In twins who share a placenta, one passes blood to the other unevenly.
- 05
TRAP sequence
In twins, one without a functioning heart receives the blood the other pumps.
- 06
Diaphragmatic hernia
Through an opening in the diaphragm, the organs move up into the chest and keep the lungs from growing.
- 07
Urinary tract obstruction
Urine cannot drain, builds up and damages the kidneys.
- 08
Other fetal conditions
Each case is assessed with the team, alongside the treating doctor.
The focus: gastroschisis
From the newborn to the fetus
Moving the moment of surgery changed the story for these babies. The world's first successful intrauterine surgery to correct gastroschisis was performed here, in Barranquilla. In Colombia, between 250 and 300 babies are born with gastroschisis every year.
Swipe to see the process
A hard road
Through an opening beside the navel, the bowel comes out of the abdomen and floats in the amniotic fluid. Every week it is damaged a little more.
Fetoscopia
Two weeks beforehand, the baby's abdomen is relaxed. Then, through 2-millimetre ports, the bowel is returned to place and the opening is closed.
A new beginning
The baby is born with the bowel inside the abdomen. The story changes before birth.
The programme
A pioneering programme, made in Barranquilla
Behind every repaired baby there is a team that operates inside the womb, here in Barranquilla.
- A multidisciplinary team of fetal surgery and therapy, not a single name.
- La world's first successful intrauterine surgery to correct gastroschisis, with a technique developed in Barranquilla: relaxing the baby's abdomen before operating.
- More than 50 prenatal spina bifida repairs by fetoscopy, according to the team's clinical registry, and a published series of 39 cases from two Latin American centres (AJOG Global Reports, 2025).
- More than 350 procedures of high-complexity fetal surgery and therapy: fetoscopic laser, fetal shunts, urinary tract obstruction and balloon tracheal occlusion for diaphragmatic hernia.
- Families from Colombia, North America, Central America, South America and Europe, and procedures carried out in international collaboration.
- With the Instituto de Cirugía y Terapia Fetal del Caribe and Clínica General del Norte.
A community
Different countries. One shared destination.
Children and families from different countries, joined by an extraordinary story: having been treated before birth. This November 28, Barranquilla opens the first international gathering.
- Colombia
- United States
- México
- Guatemala
- Panama
- Ecuador
- Venezuela
- Chile
- España
The gathering
A weekend to get to know each other
Families arrive on Friday the 27th. On Saturday the 28th, at the Cubo de Cristal in Plaza de la Paz, there is a thanksgiving mass, the main ceremony and a shared lunch. Sunday the 29th is the medical meeting and, in the afternoon, the «Por la Vida» concert.
What you will experience
Familiar
The children meet each other and the families share their stories over lunch. On Sunday, it's the «Por la Vida» concert.
Doctor
On Sunday, a meeting for doctors about surgery before birth.
Social
Barranquilla shows the country and the world what was achieved here.
28SaturdayThe gathering
9:00 a. m.Thanksgiving mass.
10:00 a. m.Main ceremony: the families, their testimonies, the medical team and the authorities.
12:00 m.Shared lunch.
29SundayNoviembre
DoctorsMedical meeting.
4:00 p.m.«Por la Vida» concert, with a second show at 7:00 p.m.
Our purpose
More chances at life
That more babies with a difficult diagnosis have an option before birth. That is the dream that brings us together: today, these families are the proof; tomorrow, we hope there will be no new cases.
How to support
Some gatherings leave a mark. Help us make it happen.
We want to bring together in Barranquilla the children and families who have lived through the extraordinary experience of being treated before birth. They come from cities across Colombia and from other countries. Bringing them together, sharing their stories and celebrating life takes the commitment of people, companies and institutions who believe in this purpose.
Your support can make it possible for more families to be there, and for their stories to inspire new chances at life for other babies. This is what it makes possible:
The main ceremony
Saturday morning at the Cubo de Cristal: the mass, the testimonies and the moment when the families meet each other.
The lunch and the concert
Saturday's shared lunch and Sunday's «Por la Vida» children's concert.
The photos and the video
So that other families and other doctors learn about the surgery.
Contribute to the encounter
Contribution levels
Choose your level and message us. We'll tell you the benefits and how to take part.
Contribution
Platinum
Contribute · PlatinumContribution
Gold
Contribute · GoldContribution
Silver
Contribute · SilverOrganisers and supporters
Sponsors
Want to support us in another way?
Write to us on WhatsApp. The gathering's team will reply and tell you how to take part.
Message the teamFor doctors
Do you have a patient whose baby could have surgery before birth?
The Barranquilla team assesses cases of gastroschisis, spina bifida and other fetal conditions, from Colombia and abroad, and works with the treating doctor throughout the process. The doctors who have referred patients to us are invited to the gathering.
Registration
I want to take part
Tell us who you are and we will reply on WhatsApp with the details of the gathering.
- Families. Parents and children who were part of the programme.
- Prensa. Media who want to cover the gathering.
- Doctors and institutions. Hospitals, medical societies and colleagues who refer cases.
- Empresas. Those who want to support or contribute.
- I want to support. People who want to join the cause.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us most
Who can attend?
The families of children who had surgery before birth, the doctors who treated them, and guests from institutions, companies and the press. Write to us and we will confirm your place.
Is it only for children operated on for gastroschisis?
No. It is for children who had surgery before birth for any condition: gastroschisis, myelomeningocele or another. Gastroschisis has a special place because it is where Barranquilla led the way.
Is there a cost?
Write to us on WhatsApp and we will send you the details.
Where exactly is it?
At the Cubo de Cristal in Plaza de la Paz, beside the Metropolitan Cathedral of Barranquilla (see on the map). Saturday the 28th begins at 9:00 a.m. with the mass. The «Por la Vida» concert is on Sunday the 29th, at the same venue, with shows at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m.
How do I buy concert tickets?
At entradadirecta.com.co. It is the charity concert of the Reparados antes de nacer encounter.
How can my company support it?
Write to us on WhatsApp and the gathering's team will tell you how to take part.
I am a doctor — how do I refer a case?
Write to us on WhatsApp with the gestational age and what the ultrasound shows, without any data that identifies the patient. The team reviews the case and replies.
Medical team
The surgeries are performed by a multidisciplinary team, together with the Instituto de Cirugía y Terapia Fetal del Caribe and Clínica General del Norte.
Dr. Miguel Parra Saavedra
Perinatology and fetal surgerySee profile
PhD in Maternal-Fetal Medicine from Hospital Clínic and the University of Barcelona. He has served as an expert advisor to Colombia's National Institute of Health and to the World Health Organization (WHO), and is the author of more than 50 scientific papers in high-impact (Q1) journals.
Together with Dr. Cristóbal Abello, he has developed two pioneering fetal surgery techniques: the prenatal application of botulinum toxin for hepato-omphalocele and the two-step intrauterine repair of gastroschisis.
His innovations have been covered by The New York Times and the BBC, and by Colombian media such as Caracol, RCN, El Tiempo and Semana.
Dr. Guido Parra Anaya
Gynecology and reproductive medicineSee profile
Past president of FECOLSOG, the Colombian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Trained in Madrid and with ultrasound studies at Harvard Medical School, he co-founded CEDIUL in 1984 and represented Colombia on the FIGO Executive Committee. Awarded the Mariscal Sucre Medal as a pioneer of reproductive medicine.
Dr. Cristóbal Abello Munarriz
Pediatric, neonatal and fetal surgerySee profile
He won two National Awards for Innovation in Pediatric Surgery (2004 and 2024) and the Efraín Bonilla Arciniegas Medal, the highest distinction of the Colombian Society of Pediatric Surgery, which he chaired. A pioneer of prenatal botulinum toxin for abdominal wall defects and the inventor of a self-expanding mesh for diaphragmatic hernia.
Dr. William Contreras López
NeurosurgerySee profile
Member of the National Academy of Medicine, which he joined in 2023 with the first Colombian cohort of fetoscopic spina bifida repair. Full professor at UNAB, he chaired the Colombian chapter of the International Neuromodulation Society.
Dr. Juan David Hernández
AnesthesiologySee profile
Anesthesiologist with ten years in high-complexity institutions and training in fetoscopic myelomeningocele repair at Texas Children's Hospital (USA). He has been the anesthesiologist for the team's fetal surgeries since 2021. Professor at Universidad Simón Bolívar.
Dra. Ana María Rivera
Maternal-fetal medicineSee profile
General physician and specialist in Gynecology from Universidad Libre. Subspecialist in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Universidad FUCS and Hospital San José.
She is part of the fetal surgery team in Barranquilla.
Dr. Iván Osorio Vargas
Pediatric surgerySee profile
A pediatric surgeon since 1990, with experience in minimally invasive surgery. He has taken part in developing procedures to correct abdominal wall defects such as omphalocele and gastroschisis.
He earned his medical degree at Universidad Libre in Barranquilla and completed his residency in Pediatric Surgery at Hospital Centro Médico Nacional La Raza, with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He is a certified member of the Mexican Council of Pediatric Surgery and an active member of the Colombian Society of Pediatric Surgery.
He was a professor at Universidad del Norte and director of Clínica de los Andes (ISS). He is part of the fetal surgery team in Barranquilla.
Dr. Juan Pablo Piraquive
Perinatology · IbaguéSee profile
Obstetrician-gynecologist and perinatologist, with 16 years of experience and training at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (Spain).
He has taken part in scientific research and is a co-author of papers in international journals such as The Green Journal and AJOG.
He practises at Clínica Keralty, the Unidad Materno Infantil del Tolima and Hospital San Rafael de Espinal. He is also a speaker.
Dr. Vicente Sánchez Paredes
Pediatric and fetal surgery · MexicoSee profile
Mexican pediatric surgeon, specialising in thoracic surgery, endoscopy and fetal surgery. He trained at institutions of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery and Endoscopy at Hospital del Niño Rodolfo Nieto Padrón, in Villahermosa, Tabasco. Past president of the College of Pediatric Surgeons of Tabasco and a member of the National Fetal Surgery Unit of IMSS-Bienestar.
Dra. Yazmín Conde Gutiérrez
Maternal-fetal medicine · MexicoSee profile
Specialist in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, with a career devoted to the care of mothers and their babies, especially in high-risk pregnancies.
Dr. Rafael Campanella Medina
Obstetrics and gynecology · Maternal-fetal medicineSee profile
Obstetrician-gynecologist from Universidad Central del Ecuador (Quito), a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology since 1999, with postgraduate training in high-risk obstetrics.
Two years of advanced training in maternal-fetal medicine and obstetric pathology, with studies linked to Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (Spain). He is trained in advanced robotic and laparoscopic surgery, and his clinical career is devoted to maternal and fetal health.
Dr. Percy Marroquín López
Maternal-fetal medicine · GuatemalaSee profile
Physician and surgeon, obstetrician-gynecologist from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, a graduate of Hospital San Juan de Dios, and a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine.
Expert in imaging and maternal-fetal medicine from Hospital Clínic–Sant Joan de Déu and the University of Barcelona (Spain), with studies in reproductive endocrinology at the University of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), sonography at the Jefferson Institute (United States) and certification in Doppler and 3D imaging at CIDEUS (Mexico).
Director of ImaGyn Médica and currently Guatemala's ultrasound representative to FLASOG.