No. The Rotary Clubs worldwide spearheaded the effort to bring critically ill children to medical facilities equipped to save them. Since 1975, Gift of Life International has received donations and gifts-in-kind from individuals and organizations interested in saving a child’s life.

No. We have sponsored many medical missions overseas in which a team of more than a dozen doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals donate two weeks of their time to travel to an underserved country. During their stay they perform surgery on up to forty young patients with cardiac birth defects. If possible, GOLI will attempt to place a child and his or her family into a familiar culture and language to ease the stress of the overall situation.
Several of our district programs are supporting a two-year mission to Nicaragua, where a cardio-thoracic surgeon will remain on site for the duration.

Participating Rotary International Districts and Clubs allocate to Gift of Life some portion of the funds they raise each year for humanitarian causes.

While the hospitals cardiologists, surgeons, nurses, and other hospital staff contribute their time and talents, a nominal contribution is made to the hospital to cover the costs of disposables, medications, food, etc. that the hospital incurs with each patient.

A child’s sponsoring Rotary Club arranges for a host family (and/or a local organization) to provide shelter, meals and transportation for the child before and after surgery, and for the parent for the duration of the young patient’s stay in the U.S.

Yes! We are constantly seeking “gifts-in-kind” in which the donation is of a service or product. For example, when we have to fly a child out of a rural area, we need private jets or planes that can carry the child, a medical team and necessary medical equipment. Medical supplies such as surgical gloves, bandages, and disposable operating room instruments are always needed. Pre- and post-operative medications are necessary for each child who is treated. And we need host families who live near our affiliate hospitals to invite the child and his or her family to stay during the surgery and post-operative recovery. These are just a few examples of needs. Contact your local chapter or participating Rotary Club for more details.

There are costs associated with arranging each child’s medical care. And we are continually expanding the program throughout the world as rapidly as we can to bring life-saving medical attention to our young charges. Our costs include international phone calls, transportation costs for the child and family, and administrative costs for those who are diligently working to arrange the details.

Current sources of funding are insufficient to arrange and provide timely life-saving surgery for the thousands of needy children who are waiting. Sadly, while our medical teams have better than 98 percent success rate with the children we do reach, too many children die waiting for that funding to become available.

Generally, $5,000 is the minimum amount needed to save the life of one child.

Gift of Life gratefully accepts donations via the Internet through the secure Paypal system which accepts all major credit cards.

In addition to financial donations we need help in local Gift of Life chapters. Volunteering to be a host family or getting involved in fund raisers are just a few ways to help save a child’s life. Please contact your local chapter for more information about how you can become involved.

Corporate sponsorship of a child can be tailor-made to business’ preferred level of involvement. The Donations section of our website lists the ways you can help, from sponsoring a child or a mission to simply making a donation that helps us keep the process running smoothly.

For further details of our Save a Child program, please contact the Gift of Life International office directly at:

Phone: 516-504-0830 or

e-mail: GWilliams@GiftofLifeInternational.org

or contact your local Rotary chapter.