On November 11, 2007 a team of 44 people consisting of 36 medical personnel and 8 Rotarians will go to San Pedro Sula, Honduras to operate on 35 to 40 children. I’m sure most of you are aware that the mission of the Gift of Life has always been to bring children to the United States from less advantaged countries to receive life saving heart operations.
You are also probably aware that the cost of these operations is
$6,000 and the child and his or her parent are in this country for 6-8 weeks. What
many of you may not be aware of; however, is that last February a team of medical
personnel and Rotarians went to Vietnam where 16 children received life saving heart surgeries all within one week.
This was Gift of Life’s first medical mission.
The Vietnam mission was so successful that it was decided to conduct a mission to Honduras where to date approximately
30 children have come to the United States for operations. Led by Beverly and Ruben Rivera, the Gift of Life
Honduran country coordinators, Ray Hough, Executive Director of the Gift of Life and some of the same doctors who
went to Vietnam, a plan was presented to the Gift of Life Foundation last year. The total cost of the mission will be
approximately $90,000 which means that it will cost slightly in excess of $2,000 per operation. The mission is being
funded by contributions from Rotary Clubs in District 7490 and some private donations. What makes this mission even
more exciting is that while there the 500th child in the history of Gift of Life District 7490 will be operated on.
The operations will conclude on November 16th and on November 17th a reunion celebration for the children who have
come to the United States will take place. It is anticipated that most of the children who were operated on here will
attend the reunion. In addition to Beverly, Ruben and Ray, John Mosca, Gift of Life Committee Chair, Andy Topp Gift
of Life Program Coordinator and our own Governor Joe Laureni will be working the mission, and when I say working,
believe me they will be working hard supporting the medical personnel. Many other people from the United States will
go to Honduras for the reunion celebration. I will not be able to attend but my wife will be there to be reunited with
Elissa and Glendy, two children we hosted.
I cannot convey to you the amount of effort that has gone into the planning of this mission, primarily by Beverly, Ruben
and Ray and the enormous sacrifice everyone involved will make to ensure its success. I encourage every Rotarian to
reach out to those involved and wish them God Speed. These people truly exemplify what it means when we say
“Service above Self”
Paul A. Platek
Chairman Gift of Life Foundation
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