Rotary Demerara unveils “Gift of Life” billboard

Feb 25, 2014 News

– Project aims to aid children with heart ailments

With their minds set on saving lives, members of the Rotary Club of Demerara made their benign intentions public when they recently unveiled their “Gift of Life” billboard at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
The project publicized on the billboard erected in the compound at the junction of New Market and East Streets, is one that the club coordinates in collaboration with ‘Gift of Life International.’

Gift of Life billboard with three Rotarians and one of the project’s past beneficiaries.

“Gift of Life” allows children under the age of 18 with defective hearts to go abroad to access corrective heart surgeries free of cost. Over the past four decades, in excess of 16,000 children worldwide have been treated through the ‘Gift of Life’ Programme.
Five children have so far been sent to the United States of America (US) for surgery ever since Rotary Demerara embarked upon the journey with Gift of Life.
Addressing the occasion at GPHC on Friday, Vice President, Patrick DeGroot, explained how the project has grown since its genesis and the key function Rotary plays in the process.
He explained that the process involved in organizing the heart surgery for a child and encouraged persons who are in need to contact the club by the number displayed on the billboard.
“First the doctor or parents of the child with the sick heart has to contact us by calling the number on the bill board (691-0299),” DeGroot said.
According to him, to become a beneficiary the doctor has to provide us with a letter stating what the problem is and an electrocardiogram (ECG) of the child’s heart.
He said that his club then sends the documents to Gift of Life International whose team of doctors reviews it and ultimately decides if the patient can be operated on. They also indicate which hospital and what date the doctors will be performing the surgery.
DeGroot explained that from then on the Rotarians take the wheel as they would organise for the visa, airfare and network with other Rotarians in the chosen country to accommodate the beneficiary and a parent.
“Once the parent and child arrive in the country for the operation they are met by Rotarians who look after all their arrangements and provide home care until they are ready to return home. The surgery and all arrangements whether in the US or Jamaica are free of cost.”
The Vice President ended his delivery urging the public to contact the club for help. “Let us help more children with sick hearts. If you know of any child under 18, with a sick heart contact us and let us start the process of helping them to live a normal healthy life.”
Adding to his sentiments was President Osbert James who indicated that the project was one done as part of the activities his club has planned for Rotary’s World Understanding Month.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GPHC Michael Khan expressed hope that Rotary Demerara continues to work with the hospital and thanked the Rotarians for the support shown.
Khan, who stated that the hospital has a paediatric committee that oversees cases of children who are admitted to the hospital with heart ailments, pledged to collaborate with the club in getting children through the programme.
The CEO mentioned that the project will increase the number of children who will benefit from heart surgeries.
Also, Rotary Demerara collaborated with Georgetown Central and also donated eight wheel chairs to the hospital’s maternity ward during the ceremony.
The club thanked Ansa McAl, Digicel, Bounty and Sterling Products Limited for making the “Gift of Life” billboard possible.