Rotary’s Gift of Life Program Explained - Guest Speaker - Joe Laureni

Today Past District Governor Joe Laureni, and Chairperson of the District Gift of Life Foundation was able to give an in depth, personal presentation of the Gift of Life program since its adoption in mid-80’s by our Northern New Jersey District 7490.  Then a child in underdeveloped part of the world suffering from a congenital heart defect could receive a lifesaving operation here in the United States through Rotary’s members and their contributions.

This model for treating the poorest of the world’s poorest children continued on until 2006 when pediatric heart treatment missions started. Here teams of doctors from around the world were assembled and would converge, with Rotarians, at one location, in a developing country, typically far major cities, in the countryside where many more children with congenital heart disease went untreated. Through this new method of reaching children, on the start, it treated the same number children in one week, that previously could only be accomplished in a year. The bonus of this approach is that the costs are approximately half the $6000 per child cost in the United States. As a point of reference, an operation to repair a hole in a child’s heart for an American child could cost up to $250,000! Doctors and hospitals associated with Gift of Life have usually donated most all their services to make this operation possible.

Joe was one of the first helping out with the new model of treatment going to several times to Vietnam to assist. In this year, in just a few weeks Joe will hopefully be joining a new Gift of Life mission team to the Philippines.

The Gift of Life now has a matching grant that will match half of the cost for a child. If a Rotary Club wishes to contribute $6000 for what would have paid for just one child, now a Club can give the gift of life to two children.

Joe is pictured below on the right