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Infant Flown in From Iraq Receives Life Saving Heart Surgery in New York
- By Om Varma
- Published 5/08/2003
- Local News
Karam, who is from Baghdad, arrived in the New York area with his mother, Latifa Hussein earlier this month. If recovery goes smoothly, they are expected to return to Iraq in the next few weeks.
"Coming here is like a dream, thank you, thank you," says Latifa Hussein.
Apart from the services donated by Montefiore and its volunteer doctors, the life-saving trip and the surgery was made possible by high school students who are part of the Rotary-sponsored club at Great Neck North High School. They raised over $5,000 during the school year with a variety of projects from bake sales to road races and raffles. The money was sent to Rotary's Gift of Life program, which brings children with congenital heart problems from developing countries to the United States for surgery. The students will have an opportunity to meet Karam and his mother on Monday, August 4th.
"It will be amazing to see him, knowing that the money we raised helped him to get a second chance at life," says Allison Polland, a student from Great Neck North High School.
Since 1975, Rotary's Gift of Life has benefited over 5,000 children worldwide. The program includes more than 70 participating hospitals worldwide -- 50 in the United States. Participating hospitals and physicians donate their services and skills to save the lives of suffering children, who often otherwise would not be able to afford the life saving surgery in their home country.
"I don't know if you can ever explain the feeling you get when a desperate parent thanks you for saving his child's life," says Robert Donno, who directs Rotary's Gift of Life International.
Media Availability Contact:
Gift of Life - Robert Donno at 516-504-0830 ext. 26 or mobile 917-822-0138.
Great Neck Rotary Club - Leslie Gross - 516-384-8080 and Roger Chizever - 516-902-3011
Web Information:
www.rotary.org/newsroom/presscenter/index.html
www.giftoflifeinternational.org
www.montefiore.org/children/index.html
Rotary International is one of the world's largest business humanitarian organizations with 1.2 million members working in 30,000 Rotary clubs in 165 countries worldwide. The international network helps link people in need with Rotary club members in other countries that can provide resources. The Gift of Life program is just one of the thousands of Rotary community ventures to improve the lives of children from around the world.
"Coming here is like a dream, thank you, thank you," says Latifa Hussein.
Apart from the services donated by Montefiore and its volunteer doctors, the life-saving trip and the surgery was made possible by high school students who are part of the Rotary-sponsored club at Great Neck North High School. They raised over $5,000 during the school year with a variety of projects from bake sales to road races and raffles. The money was sent to Rotary's Gift of Life program, which brings children with congenital heart problems from developing countries to the United States for surgery. The students will have an opportunity to meet Karam and his mother on Monday, August 4th.
"It will be amazing to see him, knowing that the money we raised helped him to get a second chance at life," says Allison Polland, a student from Great Neck North High School.
Since 1975, Rotary's Gift of Life has benefited over 5,000 children worldwide. The program includes more than 70 participating hospitals worldwide -- 50 in the United States. Participating hospitals and physicians donate their services and skills to save the lives of suffering children, who often otherwise would not be able to afford the life saving surgery in their home country.
"I don't know if you can ever explain the feeling you get when a desperate parent thanks you for saving his child's life," says Robert Donno, who directs Rotary's Gift of Life International.
Media Availability Contact:
Gift of Life - Robert Donno at 516-504-0830 ext. 26 or mobile 917-822-0138.
Great Neck Rotary Club - Leslie Gross - 516-384-8080 and Roger Chizever - 516-902-3011
Web Information:
www.rotary.org/newsroom/presscenter/index.html
www.giftoflifeinternational.org
www.montefiore.org/children/index.html
Rotary International is one of the world's largest business humanitarian organizations with 1.2 million members working in 30,000 Rotary clubs in 165 countries worldwide. The international network helps link people in need with Rotary club members in other countries that can provide resources. The Gift of Life program is just one of the thousands of Rotary community ventures to improve the lives of children from around the world.