Gift of Life - Penang
The Gift of Life, Inc. began as a World Community Service Programme initiated by the
Rotary District #7250 in 1975. Its aim has been to reach out to needy and less fortunate
children from developing countries and to provide them with a chance at having a new
lease of life through open heart surgery.
The birth of the Gift of Life in the United States has since gone beyond borders to touch
the lives and mend the hearts of many children from many parts of the world.
Penang Adventist Hospital is granted as the referral.
Gift of Life, Inc.
The Gift of Life Programme, which was originally initiated in
1975, is today a worldwide Rotary International Service Programme. Its primary
purpose is to help those needy children who require corrective heart surgery
secure another lease on life through the miracle of open-heart surgery in a Gift
of Life participating hospital in the U.S.A.
The Programme reaches children throughout the world, including the
United States. It is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt corporation whose Board of
Directors and members are Rotarians of District 7250 (Brooklyn, Queens and
Nassau County in New York), and members of local ethnic organizations.
The concept of the Programme began in 1974 when the Manhasset, NY
Rotary Club responded to a request for help from the Kampala Rotary Club in
Uganda. The response brought five-year old Grace Agwaru on a 5,000 mile journey
from Uganda to Roslyn, NY. On November 15, 1974 she underwent a very successful
four hour open-heart surgical procedure to close a hole between the two lower
chambers of her small heart at St. Francis Hospital, Roslyn, NY.
In 1975 "Gift of Life" Was Born
And, strange as it may
seem, what began as a simple response to help one small girl from a far-away
country has today developed into a very dynamic worldwide movement involving not
only thousands of Rotarians and their families, but also countless people from
other community-based service and fraternal organizations, Including numerous
American ethnic community groups: They all united with the primary objective of
providing the “Gift of Life” to the more than 1,700 children from over 30
countries who have followed Grace Agwaru since 1974.
Children From Around the World
Children with
life-threatening cardiac disorders, ranging in age from infants to eighteen
years, have been sponsored by Clubs and Districts from throughout the Rotary
World. They have come from such countries as Azerbaijan, Belize, Cambodia,
China, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana,
Honduras, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, W.I. Kazakhstan, Kenya,
Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
St. Kitts, El Salvador, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Trinidad,
Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. All have been accompanied by either a
parent or guardian. [Source: Our Story, Gift of Life, Inc.]
Penang Gift of Life Formed!
Ted Mohr, CEO of Penang
Adventist Hospital and member of the Penang Rotary Club of District 3300,
recently visited with PDG Eileen Gentilcore, Past President of the Gift of Life,
where he reviewed the progress of the formation of the Gift of Life Programme in
Penang. Ted brought pictures of children and shared some wonderful stories of
life-saving efforts which give the Gift of Life to children who would otherwise
have died. Most children are under the age of one. Ted is “most moved” by the
generosity of persons, both in Penang and the United States. He joined us at
our Conference on August 11th – 13th, where he shared
updated information on Penang’s programme. He also met with PPRI Herb Brown and
PRIVP Abe Gordon at this special event. We are now awaiting the final decision
on a grant which will enable us to move forward in establishing Penang as our
Asian area major Gift of Life hospital, saving thousands of miles of travel for
children in need of heart operations. [Source: Newsline, Gift of Life,
Inc. September 2000]
The Birth of Gift of Life - Penang
Tim Maddocks, an expatriate living in Siem Reap, Cambodia, was
looking out for a possibility of helping Chanta, a 14-yr old girl, who was
suffering from a heart problem.
Through providence, he met Teddric Mohr, president and chief
executive officer of Penang Adventist Hospital who happened to be in Cambodia
for a business meeting. The family of Chanta arranged for her to leave for
Penang… where she would receive a new heart.
Full of hope for a new lease of life, Chanta arrived at Penang
Adventist Hospital and received examination from the paediatric cardiologist,
who made the unfortunate discover that Chanta had no pulmonary arteries. As
such, Chanta returned home to Cambodia’s
Angkor
Hospital for Children without a cure.
Her disappointment, however, planted a seed of hope for other
Cambodian children suffering from congenital heart failure. For in 1999, upon
invitation by Angkor Hospital for Children, the Penang Adventist Hospital heart
team visited the hospital and provided free heart screening for the Cambodian
children.
There was an obvious need to help these Cambodian children full of
hope, full of life to receive new hearts, but where would funding come from?
On another business trip, Mohr found himself seated next to a
gentleman wearing a Rotary pin. A Rotarian himself, Mohr began speaking with
the gentleman and soon discovered that he was Abe Gordon, Vice President of
Rotary International.
When Mohr shared with Gordon about his recent trip to Cambodia and
his need for funds, Gordon suggested the gift of Life Programme. The rest is
history.
In her hopelessness, Chanta provided hope, life, renewed faith and
a chance for many children not just in Cambodia, but others in Southeast Asia to
receive the precious gift of life under the Gift of Life Programme at Penang
Adventist Hospital!
In her suffering Chanta played her part, you can play your part
today to give many more the gift of life!
How to Apply
The Gift of Life Programme (at Penang Adventist Hospital) is
available to the following:
- Those ranging from the ages of 0 mths to 18 yrs of age
- Those suffering from congenital heart disease
- Those in true need of financial assistance (referees must be provided)
- Those from Southeast Asian countries ONLY
The Programme is made possible through the Heart Patients’ Fund
and Rotary Club of Penang Gift of Life Account 2.
Application forms for the Gift of Life – Penang Programme can be
obtained from Penang Adventist Hospital or enquiries can be directed to
the Development Office (provide hyperlink to email address:
foundation@pah.com.my).
It is recommended that application forms be submitted at least
one month prior to the surgery date so that ample time is given to the Heart
Patients’ Fund Committee and the Rotary Club of Penang Gift of Life Committee to
review and investigate the application.
The Committee reserves the final right to approve/reject an
application.
Dissemination of Funds
Working together to mend the hearts of many, Penang Adventist
Hospital and the Rotary Club of Penang team have combined efforts in fund
raising for the Gift of Life – Penang Programme.
Surgery costs vary from as low as US$2,105 to as high as
US$10,500. However, only US$4,500 is needed to mend a heart of a child under
the Gift of Life – Penang Programme. This is a special agreement between Penang
Adventist Hospital and Rotary International.
The diagram below clearly defines the funding structure for the
Gift of Life Programme. Under this programme, the funds are maximised so that
whatever the patients’ family is able to contribute, will be pooled together
with other contributions from generous donors—the combined effort by the family
and donors gives life to a child in need.
When the Gift of Life sponsors US$2,000 for each child operated on
under the Gift of Life Programme, donors who wish to ‘adopt a child’ contribute
only US$2,500. In order to make a lifetime of difference in the life of
a less fortunate child today, you can play your part to mend a heart.
Kardiac Kids
The Gift of Life – Penang Programme has benefited children from
countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines.
In partnership together with Rotary International and the Rotary
Club of Penang, the Gift of Life Programme at Penang Adventist Hospital has
benefited Malaysian children as well as other children from developing countries
in true need, through the support of the Heart Patients’ Fund.
We Remember
A hospital where broken hearts come together, Penang Adventist
Hospital remembers those broken hearts which were too fragile to fight for their
lives… they struggled till the very end… we remember those children who showed
us how to treasure the gift of life!
- Long Srey Mich (April 18, 2001)
- Ny Nuon (June 14, 2001)
- Muhammad Irfan (July 18, 2001)
- Noy Channa (September 24, 2001)
These children believed in the Gift of Life through your
gift, more children can receive it… before it’s too late. Play your part and
mend a heart today… while you still can!
Sponsors
The Gift of Life – Penang is a joint partnership among Gift of
Life, Inc. (US$25,000), the Rotary Club of Verrazano (US$20,000), the Rotary
Club of Penang (US$5,000) and the Rotary International Foundation (matching
grant of US$50,000).
The Gift of Life – Penang exists because the international and
Malaysian community played their part to mend more hearts!
Supporters of this Programme to date have included:
- Royal Air Cambodge
(RAC)
... in providing US$100,000 worth of FREE air tickets for heart
patients and their caretakers to come to Malaysia from Siem Reap,
Cambodia.
- General Electric (GE)
... in
providing the use of their ECHO Doppler machine to be used at the Angkor
Hospital for Children during the scanning of the heart patients. The machine
would have usually cost US$75,000.
- Cambodian Government
... in providing 100 FREE passports worth
US$25,000 for the children and their caretakers to make their journey of hope to
Penang, Malaysia.
- Puncak Hotel
... in providing FREE lodging for the children and
their caretakers during their one-day transit at Phnom Penh.
- Singapore Airlines Limited
(SIA)
... in providing a very special discount of more than 50% for the
three 'stranded' passengers to return home to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
- Agilent Hewlett Packard (Agilent
HP)
... in providing the use of their Agilent ECHO machine during
screenings held from December 12, 1999 till December 13, 1999.
- Malaysian Airlines System
(MAS)
... in providing a discount for the flight of the first group of
Cambodian heart patients to come to Malaysia.
- Adventist Development and Relief
Agency International (ADRA Int'l)
... in providing seed money of
US$10,000 to make the gift of life come alive at Penang Adventist Hospital.
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