Current GOL News

4th Annual Global Forum on Pediatric Cardiatric Care

This past December Gift of Life International, International Children's Heart Foundation, and International Hospital for Children came together to sponsor the 4th Annual Global Forum on Pediatric Cardiac Care. On December 3rd to 5th a conference was held at the Oasis Hamaca Hotel in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic which focused on the status of pediatric cardiac programs currently in place throughout South and Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico.

The Dominican Republic was chosen as the location because of the great progress the country has made in developing sustainable pediatric cardiac care programs. Hospitals and healthcare professionals in the Dominican Republic have acquired the necessary equipment and training they require to care for their own children who suffer from congenital heart defects.

The goal of this conference was to show that through collaboration and empowerment, countries can develop sustainable “in country” programs which will provide care for their children that suffer from heart defects. Presentations were made by healthcare physicians regarding the need that exists in the region, the countries which are on their way to sustainability and the countries which are just beginning. Over 125 Government officials, Rotarians and healthcare professionals attended the three day conference. Power point presentations which were given at the conference are available in the resources section of this website.

10,000th Child News

Taking Kid's Health to Heart - Gift of Life for 11-Year Old from Uganda

Reprinted from Montefiore Matters Newsletter: November 2008

When 11-year old Jonathan Olunga arrived at Kennedy Airport from Uganda, he was accompanied by Daphne Hsu, MD, chief of Pediatric Cardiology, The Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM). Dr. Hsu and pediatric cardiologist Rajesh Shenoy, MD, had traveled to Africa to screen Jonathan and other children who might benefit from open-heart surgery. Sponsored by Rotary International's Gift of Life program, with additional support from the Rachel Cooper Foundation, Jonathan and traveled here for life-saving surgery at CHAM.

Jonathan, the 10,000th child sponsored by Gift of Life, was also escorted by 38-year-old Grace Agwaru, who was the program's first Gift of Life child when she was five years old. “Like Grace helping Jonathan, anytime a child is healed, it's like a raindrop that spreads and helps other children,” said Robert Donno, founder and chairman of Gift of Life International.

Following additional testing at CHAM, Samuel Weinstein, MD, director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, repaired Jonathan's heart, the result of a congenital abnormality called an atrial septal defect. Tissue from Jonathan's own pericardium was used to patch the hole in a four-hour procedure. “The hole was the size of Jonathan's fist and the largest I have ever seen,: said Dr. Weinstein.

“Our partnership has been bringing children to Montefiore for 18 years,” said Donno. “In that time, specialty medical services have been provided for 600 children from around the world who would not have access to this kind of care without Montefiore's generosity.”

“Everybody at Montefiore was so nice to me,” said Jonathan. “Now I can play soccer like my friends.”

At 10,000, Rotary Club's Gift of Life Keeps on Giving

Reprinted from the New York Daily News: Monday, October 13th 2008

In 1975, Grace Agwaru had a hole in her heart and came to the U.S. from Uganda for lifesaving surgery as the very first child assisted by the Gift of Life program sponsored by the Rotary Club.

"I was 5 years old; I don't remember much," said the tall, elegant woman. "But I remember that I received love from many people."

Robert Donno, who founded the program, can recall much more.

'she stayed with my mother after the surgery, and she kept asking her to make tea, so she could hear the whistling teapot," Donno said.

"Her father was terrified."

But the then-very risky operation was a success. Agwaru thrived and grew up to become an agricultural economist, aiding people in her African nation.

'she would not have made it out of childhood if she had not benefitted from this program," said Dr. Philip Ozuah, chairman of pediatrics at Montefiore Children's Hospital, where doctors have performed 600 heart surgeries on Gift of Life children from around the globe.

'she's a remarkable woman. She's doing good because she had the opportunity to grow up," Ozuah said.

And in another arc in that lovely circle, 11-year-old Jonathan Olunga, from a town not far from Agwaru's, was sitting up in bed after a successful lifesaving operation last week at Montefiore.

He is the 10,000th Gift of Life patient, and was accompanied there by Agwaru.

Jonathan was shy and looked nervous as doctors examined him and prepared him for surgery to close a hole in his heart.

He was bundled in a sweatshirt against the autumn cold that was shocking to him and his mother, Joyce Samanya Olunga, who pulled a shawl tightly around herself.

She has six other children. She said she was happy that Jonathan would be cured.

"I like soccer, but I get out of breath," said Jonathan, his voice a whisper.

He admitted being a little scared of the operation.

Dr. Rajesh Shenoy, a pediatric cardiologist, had looked at Jonathan's data, then he and Dr. Daphne Hsu flew to Uganda "to get a sense of how it affects his daily life," Shenoy said.

"He loves to play football," he said, "but he got fatigued easily."

Jonathan's pediatrician heard a murmur and made the diagnosis - he had atrial septal defect, a fairly common congenital defect.

"He has a large hole, so it is slightly more complex than usual. The surgeon, Dr. Samuel Weinstein, will use a patch fashioned out of Gore-Tex," Shenoy said before surgery.

As it turned out, the hole was 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters, as large as Jonathan's fist, much bigger than anticipated. Instead of Gore-Tex, Weinstein used the boy's own tissue.

He underwent several hours of surgery last Wednesday, and came through well, as doctors expected.

If Jonathan didn't get the surgery, he probably would not have lived past his teens, and his quality of life would have been poor.

Shenoy has been involved in 175 of the 600 Gift of Life operations performed at Montefiore in the past 18 years.

"The satisfaction is immense," he said. "I really fall in love with some of the children."

While in Uganda, he and Hsu examined close to 40 other children, most born with heart conditions, some with rheumatic hearts.

"These doctors like helping where there is no help," said Donno. "We have a waiting list of 350 kids."

Agwaru, now 38, comforted Jonathan and offered moral support to his mother. Agwaru is a spokeswoman for Gift of Life.

In Uganda, she works with communities, training them to be self-sufficient, and to start businesses and maintain farms. She is involved in social issues.

"Jon wants to be a doctor," she said, smiling at the boy. "Having the surgery inspired me to want to help people, too. I wanted to be a doctor, but I ended up doing agricultural work."

The surgery Jonathan had costs anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000.

"Montefiore made the commitment," Donno said. "The lion's share of the cost is borne by the hospital."

"It's part of our core mission; it's part of our budget," said Ozuah.

Jonathan was expected to be released from the hospital this past weekend, after which he and his mother will be staying with Jamie and Violet Mazzei in their Long Island home for about six weeks.

"We'll show him around, take him trick-or-treating," said Violet Mazzei.

"We don't have that in Kampala," said Jonathan.

Jonathan Olunga (r.), 11, of Uganda, is the 10,000th patient in the Gift of Life program sponsored by the Rotary club. Grace Agawaru (l.), 38, was the first, in 1975.