Series of On-Campus Events to Help Provide Child with Life-Saving Surgery

Monday, January 30, 2006

(Boston) – The Boston University (BU) Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Rotaract Club is teaming up with Gift of Life International to sponsor life-saving surgery for a child with a congenital heart defect.

Rotaract Club is aiming to raise $10,000 by December 2006 to cover all costs associated with the surgery, including transportation to the United States , housing and living expenses. A Boston-area hospital donates the surgery, which costs approximately $5,000.

You can help Rotaract Club's efforts by participating in the following fundraising events. All proceeds and contributions will benefit Gift of Life International:

  • February 7th - 9th - Bake Sale: BU Sargent College lobby from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Baked goods, including cookies, brownies and muffins, will be on sale. Donations will also be accepted.
  • February 13th & 14th - Valentine Sale:BU George Sherman Union Link from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Red roses and Chinese paper cuttings, original pieces of art handmade in China by workers with severe injuries, will be for sale. Please see attached photo for an example of a Chinese paper cutting. The proceeds of each paper cutting will be evenly distributed between Rotaract International and Hong Kong Injured Workers.
  • February 16th - Film Screening:BU George Sherman Union Alley at 7:30 p.m. Rotaract Club is screening the film, “Something the Lord Made” (2004), a dramatization of an African-American heart surgeon who saved a “blue baby's” life. Ted Shaughnessy, President of Gift of Life New England, will lead a discussion following the screening. Donations are encouraged.

“Congenital heart surgery typically has high survival rates and is overall very successful,” explains Karen Jacobs, clinical professor of occupational therapy at BU Sargent College and faculty advisor for Rotaract Club. “The problem is that many third-world countries don't have access to proper medical facilities; Gift of Life makes it possible to enhance a child's life in a way that is simply not possible for them at home.”

Congenital heart disease, also known as “blue baby syndrome,” is a condition that forms before birth and causes a defect in one or more structures of the heart or blood vessels. Children living with the disease often suffer from cyanosis, which causes a bluish tint to the skin, poor weight gain and recurrent lung infections. Most children suffering from congenital heart disease require surgery as well as treatment and medication to improve heart function. Without surgery, children suffer from decreased life expectancy or death.

“Based on the success of this year, we hope to sponsor a child every year and turn this into an annual fundraising project,” says Rotaract Club President, Nehal Patel. “Boston-area hospitals usually only donate four surgeries a year so this would be a tremendous opportunity to help increase the number of children who receive this service.”

This project is in addition to the club's other initiatives, such as volunteering at soup kitchens and Hadassah Thrift Shop, which donates clothing to international hospitals; writing letters to soldiers in Iraq; and crocheting scarves and felting mittens for people who are homeless.

Any Boston University student can become a member of Rotaract as the club is currently looking for new members. For more information, please visit http://people.bu.edu/sarrot/index.shtml.

To date, the Gift of Life program has saved over 4,000 children from more than 60 different countries who suffer from life-threatening heart conditions. Approximately 5,000 deaths are associated with congenital heart disease in under-developed nations around the globe each year.

About BU Rotaract Club

The Boston University Sargent College Rotaract Club was established in 2003 as a community service club committed to both local and international service endeavors. Rotaract is the college organization parented by Rotary International, which was founded in 1968 as an association for business leaders and professionals devoted to international service. For more information on the Boston University Sargent College Rotaract Club, please visit http://people.bu.edu/sarrot/index.shtml.

Boston University (BU) Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences is an institution of higher education, research and clinical centers whose premier academic programs prepare dynamic health professionals and whose research and leadership in the health and rehabilitation sciences is actively shaping health care. BU Sargent College is the only private institution in the country offering five nationally ranked graduate programs in health and rehabilitation sciences. For more information and to learn about degree programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech, language and hearing sciences, health science, athletic training, nutrition, and rehabilitation counseling, visit http://www.bu.edu/sargent.