Gift of Life Program

May 2021 - Gift of Life Child - Hans

 
Please click the Read More button below to follow the story of Hans as it unfolds.....
 
A Story of Determination of a Mother and her child Hans
 
 
 
Gift of Life serves children with congenital heart conditions who live in areas of the world where vital cardiovascular facilities and procedures are not available. District 7490 has sponsored close to 200 children, from a diverse group of nations including Anguilla, Armenia, The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Iraq, Jamaica, Korea, Peru, Poland, Russia, Trinidad, Ukraine and the United States.
 
Gift of Life doctors, who unselfishly give of their knowledge, skills, and compassion, have traveled world wide to educate local physicians in procedures and new technology. Dr. Joe Amato at Newark Children’s Hospital was the first in a list of surgeons and hospitals to donate their service to the Gift of Life Program.
 
Sponsoring Rotary Clubs and host families are the heart beat of the Gift of Life program. Each involved individual opens up his or her heart and home to the child and family in need of services. The family lives with the local family for anywhere from three weeks to as long as nine months while the child is undergoing medical procedures. The community provides support while we feed, transport, share fear, joy, entertain, comfort, ease anxiety and occasionally suffer the pain of loss. Rotary salutes this great community effort.
 
Since the inception of the program in 1986, The Wyckoff-Midland Park Rotary has saved the life of 11 children, and continues to raise money to to save more in the future. Here are the children we have been blessed to help:
 
YEAR CHILD'S NAME COUNTRY HOST FAMILY
1987
Sebastian Czerniak
Poland
Oarence and Janna Fietje
1990
Jung Lee
Korea
John and Terry Hartman
1997
Khrystyna Kalachynk
Ukraine
Debra and Dennis Mahedy
1998
Maria Hladiy
Ukraine
Jeff and Chris Boucher
1999
Victoria Novosilska
Ukraine
John and Ruth Lucas
2003
David Canela De LaCruz (1)
Dominican Republic
Carolyn and Joe Marguiles
2004
Edwin John Balino (2)
Philippines
Dave and Kathe Rutler
2007
Franklin Rivas
Honduras
surgery done in Honduras
2010
Jamesha Dyer
Jamaica
Dave and Kathe Rutler
2012
Princez Miel Marie Mallari (3)
Philippines
Bob and Charlene Klingen
2014
Jorge Armando Peralta Mansilla
Peru
Paul and Carmen Platek
2017
Nathaniel Donald
Nigeria
Peter & Wendy Brannigan
 
NOTES
 
1) Co-Sponsored by the RailRoad Construction Company
2) C0-Sponsored by the Eisenhower Middle School ReAct Club
3) Co-Sponsored by the Allendale/Saddle River Rotary and the Northern Highlands HS Interact Club
Gift of Life Program