Latter-day Saint leaders donate equipment during visit to Buenos Aires children’s hospital

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 11, 2025. The visit highlighted the Church's recent donation to the hospital and its ongoing support for pediatric healthcare.

During his visit, Elder Renlund acknowledged the commitment of the hospital staff. “The doctors, nurses and technicians at the hospital are dedicated professionals trying to help children and their families live longer and better,” he said.

The Church donated two neonatal ventilators with humidifiers and a surgical microscope to strengthen care in the neonatal and pediatric neurosurgery department. These devices are expected to improve respiratory treatments for critically ill newborns and enhance precision during surgeries.

“Sometimes we are asked as a Church, ‘If you can’t help everyone, what do you do?’ I was told once by President Thomas S. Monson that, ‘Just because you can’t help everybody doesn’t mean you can’t help somebody.’ And so, we look in the Church for things that are important to do where we can have an impact,” said Elder Renlund.

Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital has been operating for over 150 years and is recognized as a leader in pediatrics and medical education in Argentina.

Elder Renlund also noted that “The Church is also helping with a remodel [at this hospital] that will make things nicer and a better facility. So, yes, we can’t help everybody, but we’ve identified this one as something we can do, where we collaborate with the healthcare professionals to make a difference.”

Accompanying Elder Renlund were his wife Ruth; Elder Edward Dube of the Presidency of the Seventy with his wife Naume; and Elder Joaquín E. Costa of the South America South Area Presidency with his wife Renée. The group was welcomed by Dr. Pablo Neira, medical director of the hospital, along with Alicia Garré, president of the hospital’s Support Association. Both leaders expressed gratitude for the donations which they believe will enhance patient care at this nationally known institution.

Elder Renlund described how service is central to their mission: “We don’t try to make a big splash,” he said. He compared their approach to Olympic divers who score higher for making smaller splashes: “If people see our good works, we tell them that we do it because we follow Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ went about doing good, and we follow that example.”

He added: “We [try] to live the first and second commandments, and when we’re in the service of our fellow beings, we’re in the service of God. So, we go about doing the best we can to help where we can.”

Church leaders toured various units within the hospital including cardiology and neonatology departments where they observed how new equipment is already benefiting patients. They also met with volunteer teams who provide emotional and social support to families at the hospital.

“As members of the Church, we should always try to live our lives to be a light, and that light that we share is the light of Jesus Christ. So, that’s why we’re here trying to share some of the Savior’s love for these most challenged of Heavenly Father’s children,” said Elder Renlund.