The Gift of Life

Charlot Lopez-Pimental came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic to receive delicate heart surgery that saved her life. Rotary’s Gift of Life progam made the visit here and surgery possible.

Writing a check in the amount of $5,000 for a charity is one thing. Seeing the benefits of this donation within a five-week time span in quite another. Five weeks was the time in took three years ago for Charlot Lopez-Pimental from the Dominican Republic to come to the U.S. and receive delicate heart surgery here that saved her life.

Charlot, now eight years old, was the 2002 recipient of the Rotary Club of Peekskill’s Gift of Life program and third child sponsored by the club. Rotary Gift of Life was formed in 1974 to provide pediatric open heart surgery for children anywhere in the world who cannot afford it.

Regional hospitals performing these delicate procedures are Westchester Medical Center; St. Francis Hospital, Schneider Children’s Hospital and Stony Brook Univ. Hospital on Long Island; Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan; and Deborah Heart & Lung Center in New Jersey. The surgeons volunteer their skills without pay.

Dick Esposito, Gift of Life chairman for the Peekskill Rotary Club, said, “This program is growing tremendously. It’s amazing to us that since last June, the six Rotary districts in the New York metropolitan area made possible more than 200 operations, including 11 children in our own district (7230) that we’ve been able to give new life to.

“If we could recruit the directors of more regional hospitals into the program, we could sponsor many more children who desperately need our help.”

Since becoming involved in Gift of Life ten years ago, Rotary District 7230 has helped 140 children, 75 of them here in Westchester County.

Dan Nalven, a district Gift of Life leader, spoke at a Rotary District Conference in East Africa in July. With his wife, Barbara, he visited the region where more than 25 children have been helped by the program.

International hospitals that participate in the program include four in India, and others in Italy, Israel, the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine, Canada, Australia and Indonesia. Program leaders anticipate that new hospitals in China and Cambodia and other countries will soon join the partnership.

Rotary Gift of Life has helped some 6,000 children and worldwide is now arranging crucial surgery for about 1,000 children each year. Doctors review cases they receive from overseas, and then select those they feel could most benefit. . Gift of Life pays all costs once that child arrives in the country where the operation will be performed. Local Rotarians provide medical costs of $2,000 to $6,000 for the hospital fee, transportation to and from the hospital, room and board, and securing interpreters for the child and guardian.

Travel costs are arranged by the families, Rotarians, the airlines or other organizations in the home country. United and American Airlines have partnered with Rotary with donated frequent flyer miles -- “Roto Miles” -- and can be secured with a window of 35 days.

Gift of Life is supported by some 30 other Rotary districts in the U.S. from Boston to Los Angeles. The program also undertakes medical missions with other heart organizations. Last year 26 children were operated on in Cambodia by doctors from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital under the auspices of Surgeons of Hope.

For more information on the Rotary District 7230 Gift of Life, go to the program’s website at www.giftoflife7230.org.