The Rotary Gift of Life Program has once again brought children to our shores and given them a chance of full recovery and a normal life.

At a press conference held last week at Schneider Children's Hospital, part of the Long Island Jewish Health System in New Hyde Park, it was explained that due to the dedication of Chairman Robbie Donno and the other fine people in the Rotary Gift of Life Program, including Dr. Lester Corn, of the Great Neck Rotary, President of the Great Neck Rotary Sammy Hsiao and the members of Temple Emanuel, Great Neck, three small Palestinian children were given a new lease on life.

Director of Schneider Children's Hospital Pediatric Cardiology Services, Dr. Fredrick Z. Bierman explained that the youngest child Mohammed Abuharb, 8 1/2 month-old was diagnosed with heart failure due to a large hole separating the two main pumping chambers of the heart. Also, there was a narrowing of the valves between the upper and lower chambers of the heart. The hole resulted in excessive blood flow to the blood vessels of the lungs. The obstruction of the valves resulted in increased blood pressure in both chambers.

Chief Pediatric Cardiothorasic Surgeon Dr. Vincent Parnell who operated on all the children, through the use of the heart-lung machine, closed the large hole between the pumping chambers and removed the obstruction at the valves. At the time of surgery little Mohammed's heart was the size of a walnut.

Fadi Shaat the 3-year-old, who was the most engaging at the press conference, as he took pictures of the many photographers taking pictures of him, was diagnosed with a large hole in the wall separating two main pumping chambers. The hole in the heart resulted in excessive blood flow to the blood vessels of the lungs. Dr. Parnell, using the heart-lung machine performed open-heart surgery to correct the abnormality. At the time of surgery the size of Fadi's heart was that of a plum.

AbdelRahman AbuMustafa, a 2-year-old, was diagnosed with a large hole in the wall separating the two upper chambers of the heart, plus there was severe narrowing of the artery carrying blood to the right lung. The abnormalities resulted in excessive blood flow to the left lung and obstruction to blood flow to the right lung. Open-heart surgery with the use of the heart/lung machine was performed by Dr. Parnell. The hole was matched and the narrowing of the artery was repaired. His heart at the time of surgery was the size of a small plum.

It is predicted that the boys will return home and will be able to live normal lives engaging in all the activities of growing up.

The Rotary Gift of Life Program started with the Manhasset Rotary in 1974 when their members responded to a request for help from the Kampala Rotary Club in Uganda. The Rotary brought 5-year-old Grace Agwaru on a 5,000 mile journey to Roslyn and St. Francis Hospital where she underwent a successful four hour open-heart surgery to close a hole in her heart.

Shortly after that the "Gift of Life" was born and Rotarians all over the world united with the primary objective of providing help to children all over the world. Now, more than 1,700 children from more than 30 countries all over the world have been helped by the program following in Grace Agwaru's footsteps.