Play the video (14:20)
In the latter part of 2003, the Rotary Club of Jersey City established a
Centennial Twin Club agreement with the Rotary Club of Shanghai, PRC
(Provisional). This relationship developed through the efforts of two of
our members, 2003-2004 Club President Tom Thong and Jersey City Rotarian Frank
Ng. During his regular trips to China on business, Tom had visited the
Shanghai Club and established a relationship with that club's members. He
also interested Frank Ng in a very special project of that club - the Gift of
Life Shanghai.
Frank, an importer and manufacturer of Asian food products, took up the
challenge and through his many contacts in the New York area Chinese merchant
community single-handedly raised a significant amount to help support the
project. The money was donated to the
Rotary District 7490 Gift of Life program, and the wheels began to turn.
Jersey City Rotary President
Tom Thong and Rotarian Frank
Ng with Dr. Chen Chun and
some of the Gift of Life children.
In October of 2003, a group of 14 members and friends of the Jersey City Club traveled to
China to formally sign our Centennial Twin Club agreement and to visit the Gift
of Life Shanghai project.
Gift of Life Shanghai is a community service program of the Provisional
Rotary Club of Shanghai. It sponsors children in need
of open heart surgery. The surgeries are performed at the Shanghai Chest
Hospital, Pediatric Cardiac Clinic. Dr. Chen Chun and Dr. Pan lead the
cardiac surgical team at the pediatric unit.
A team of physicians identify and evaluate candidates for the surgery. They
make candidate recommendations to the Rotary Club of Shanghai, Gift of Life
Committee, based on the medical needs of the child and financial needs of his or
her family. The committee provides needed funds directly to the hospital
to fund the medical costs associated with the surgery and treatment of the
child.
Children in Need
Put simply, the Gift of Life changes the life of a child.
The surgery improves the child's quality of life and the difference is
apparent almost immediately after surgery. The picture below is one of our
recent arrivals in October 2003 after a successful surgery by Dr. Chen Chun, the
Head of Cardiac Surgery in the Pedriatric Unit of the Shanghai Chest Hospital.
Dr.
Chen is pictured on the right at the party held to celebrate the arrival in
Shanghai of another group of lucky children. The party was held on October 15th
2003 and you can see more about this in Past Events.
There are many more children in a similar situation in China.
Would you like to know more about How to Help .............
Your
time, experience or donation would be greatly appreciated and would go a long
way to making a difference to the life of a child in need.
Copyright
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Rotary Club of Jersey City