Gift of Life Update
Posted by John Rydzik, MD, PDG
ROTARY DISTRICT 7090—The Gift of Life, a humanitarian project of the Rotary Clubs of Western New York and Southern Ontario, is proud to announce that the three newest recipients of life-saving heart surgery: 6-year old Akeila (left) and 9-year old Emmanuel (right) of Jamaica and 1-year old Camila (center) of El Salvador —are recovering well and enjoying the holidays with their families. The local Gift of Life donated $10,000 raised from its Golf & Tennis Tournament in June and another $5,000 from the Niagara-on-the-Lake Rotary Club so the surgeries could be performed.
“When Camila was born, she had a large hole in her heart that needed surgery as soon as possible,” said local GOL Chair John Rydzik of Hamburg Sunrise Rotary. The family survives on money an aunt sends them from the U.S. each month and they have been praying for the opportunity to have Camila’s heart repaired before it was too late. Her surgery was December 9 and all went well.”
“Akeila and Emmanuel also were diagnosed with heart disease at birth and have been waiting for surgery ever since,” said Rydzik. “Since Akeila’s surgery December 5, her father says she is now running, jumping and skipping with her friends and enjoying her second chance at a normal life. Emmanuel loves sports and since his surgery December 3, he can now run, like other children. He hopes to grow up like his hero Olympic Champion runner Usain Bolt of Jamaica.”
The Gift of Life provides life-saving open-heart surgery to children from infancy to 21 years old living in the United States, Canada and other countries who have congenital heart defects and cannot afford care. More than 70 Gift of Life projects around the world have saved over 16,000 children since 1975. This Christmas, the Rotary Clubs of WNY and Southern Ontario want to thank all those locally who contributed to saving the lives of Akeila, Emmanuel and Camila and have helped saved children’s lives over the years.
Visit www.giftoflife7090.org for more information. Donations may be mailed to the Gift of Life at: Hamburg Sunrise Rotary, Gift of Life, Inc., PO Box 96, Hamburg, NY 14075.
Rob Raylman, GOL International Executive Director
John Rydzik (Hamburg Sunrise Rotary), GOL WNY Section Chair
John Rydzik (Hamburg Sunrise Rotary), GOL WNY Section Chair
Dr. Pam Milroy (Ancaster/Greater Hamilton Rotary), GOL Canadian Section Chair