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The Rotary Club of White Plains is Club 5043, District 7230, Zone 32, Region USCB,
Federal tax ID 13-6111471.
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1712, White Plains NY 10602. Our "Foundation of the Rotary Club of White Plains" is tax exempt, New York State #219346, tax ID 13-6165380. Website created August 2001. The Rotary Club of White Plains was chartered October 1, 1919, charter number 540. |
13-Month-Old Baby from Belize with "Hole in His Heart"
Arrives in White Plains for Life-Saving Surgery,
Performed by Doctors in Westchester,
Helped by Local Rotary Clubs
WHITE PLAINS, NY (Oct. 23, 2017) – Thanks to the financial support and care of the White Plains Rotary Club, a 13-month-old boy from Belize was able to travel to the U.S. along with his mother to undergo treatment for a serious ventricular septal defect (hole in his heart).
The infant, Triston Martinez, had been diagnosed last month with the ventricular septal defect by a team of visiting U.S. medical professionals in Belize. The doctors recommended that this child be referred to a pediatric cardiac center in the U.S. for surgery because it was too delicate an operation to be completed in his home country.
"Without surgery, this child would most likely have serious medical issues during a life severely curtailed by his medical condition," said Bill Currie, chairman of the Gift of Life program and a member of the White Plains Rotary Club.
The medical team referred this case to the Gift of Life program – the worldwide charity that helps children with serious heart defects receive the care they need. The Gift of Life program operates in more than 40 countries so children can obtain the cardiac care regardless of race, creed or the ability to pay for this lifesaving care.
The Gift of Life program started in 1975 when Rotarians from Manhasset, New York, reached out to help a child in need of cardiac care from Uganda. Through the network of Rotary worldwide, Gift of Life programs are now in almost 40 countries. White Plains Rotary has sponsored a number of children who came to the New York area for surgery, and several of its members sit on the Gift of Life Board of Directors. To date, more than 30,000 have received the heart care they require to lead a complete and healthy life.
The Gift of Life program in Belize referred this child to the Gift of Life program in Westchester County to see if they could arrange for treatment at one of our participating area hospitals. Jonathan Schere, the White Plains Rotary Club President-elect and his wife, Dorothy, agreed to be the host family during the Triston's stay in New York.
"Members of the Rotary Club of White Plains and the Gift of Life were there to see Triston and his mother though his surgery and recuperation; in fact, we were there from the time they arrived at JFK airport, and will be there to send them back home," Mr. Currie said.
The Maria Fareri Children's Hospital in Valhalla, NY, donated its facilities and medical team for a small stipend through additional support from the Bronx Rotary Club. All medical professionals donate their services without compensation.
The surgery was performed on October 6, 2017. In a week or two, Triston will be able to return to Belize and join his brother and sister with a new lease on life thanks to the kindness and generosity of the Rotarians and the Gift of Life.
Members of the community celebrated Triston’s successful surgery October 17 at a meeting of the White Plains Rotary Club. Along with a healthy Triston and his mother Elizabeth, Mr. and Mrs. Schere were joined by White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach, Bill Currie and more than 40 Rotarians.
The celebration raised an additional $1,205 that was donated by Rotarians to assist Elizabeth and her family.
"The longtime motto of Rotary, 'Service Above Self,' was certainly realized in this project," Mr. Currie concluded. "We all contributed and dedicated ourselves to Triston and his mom. This was another success story in the Gift of Life program that helps to save the lives of hundreds of children every year."
For more information, interviews and photo opportunities, contact George Drapeau at (914) 631-6070 or by email at cicwhv@aol.com
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Website comments to tnygreen@alumni.princeton.edu. Page last saved 31-Oct-2017. Today is 10/3/2024 3:07:30 PM ET |