Growing up, you probably went to
your local pediatrician for routine wellness check-ups and or vaccines. Some of you may have had procedures like
having your appendix or wisdom teeth removed or maybe had an MRI or CT scan. I’m lucky to have been able to see countless
specialists and been able to deal with some health problems, but luckily heart
disease has not been one of them yet.
Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of children on a global level do
not have access to health care.
Save a Child’s Heart holds a
permanent place in my heart as I spent three months last year volunteering with
them while in Israel. Luckily, I was
able to see the ins and out of the organization, have one-on-one time with two
different groups of kids, and understand the value of non-verbal
communication. Although I was not
providing direct medical care, it was my job to distract and teach the children,
making sure that their time away from home was a pleasurable experience. My time at SACH allowed me to open my heart
up to children I had very little in common with and provided me with an
enormous privilege check.
Being an international organization, SACH
tends to children globally suffering with congenital heart disease and other
heart issues often caused by small, unresolved illnesses. Every few months, a team of doctors and
volunteers go to countries like Zanzibar or Tanzania and provide on the spot
treatment. The children who cannot
receive on the treatment on the mission are then flown to Israel for further assistance.
There, children stay at the SACH house nearby Wolfson Medical Center where they
receive treatments and surgery at the earliest opportunity. Save a Child’s Heart permanently alters the
children’s lives they help as well as opens up the future for many more. An additional aspect of the work they do is
providing training for aspiring doctors in countries with limited access to
medical care. A key aspect to creating
positive change is providing these regions with capable and knowledgeable
health care providers.
As an established organization,
SACH has a presence on all social media platforms as well as several campaigns
that run on a yearly basis. Most
recently, they held an annual Valentine’s Day Campaign, thus far raising over
half their $20,000 goal! By seeing first
hand where smaller donations go, I can attest to the fact that no dollar goes
to waist. While bigger donations go to
compensating hospital stays and fees, since all doctors operate on a volunteer
basis, families do not pay for a single expense there. But as the child and their parent may wait
weeks prior to the operation at the house as well as post-op time, smaller
donations go towards coloring books, educational toys, and other activities for
the house.
Linked is a promotional video I created while I
was at SACH: https://youtu.be/ZsQLCmvU8-g
Hey Lillie!
ReplyDeleteI have also visited the Saving a Child's Heart location in Israel. It is truly an amazing place and the work that they do is magical. I had no idea they they personally fly out sick children from their homes to seek higher medical attention in Israel. I believe that by going to extra mile, and personally flying these patients to Israel shows how special of an organization it is. I have done a lot of research on my own regarding SACH, and the work that they do is incredible.
I read in article about Saving a Child's Heart and their initiative to help those in need living in the Gaza Strip. Since there is so much tension between Israel and the Terrorist Forces in the Gaza Strip, it is hard to make any communication with those who are in need of medical treatment. In addition, Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip usually don’t want the assistance of Israeli doctors. In this article however, it talks about a boy named Ahmed, who lives in Gaza and was in dire need of a special heart valve surgery. Ahmed was only 8 years old and the special heart valve surgery was crucial for him to live. With the help of SACH, they were able to bring him to the Wolfson Medical Center and provide him with the proper medical treatment. Ahmed is now happy and healthy, and the valve in his heart was successfully corrected. SACH goes beyond Israeli political conflicts to ensure that all who need and deserve help will receive everything necessary.
When I first heard about the assignment of giving charity pitches to the class, SACH was the first organization that came to mind. Many people do not not know about it and its magnificent work. I currently serve on the Binghamton University Zionist Organization E-Board, and we are hosting a Philanthropy Event tomorrow night at Dillingers Downtown: All of the proceeds of the event, raffle tickets, valentines cards, and donations go to Saving a Child’s Heart! Obviously all who attend the event must be 21 or older since it is a bar, however anyone is able to donate! It is ironic how you are giving this presentation the same day as our Philanthropy event supporting SACH! If you or your friends are interested in attending the event, tell them to reach out to me!
Thank you and I am looking forward to hearing your presentation!!
-Matt
Hey Lillie,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your charity pitch, especially because international volunteering holds a special place in my heart. I can tell that the organization, Save A Child’s Heart, does extraordinary work, pertaining to child health care, around the world. After researching about SACH, I was touched by so many stories.
Last summer, I had the privilege to go to Guatemala for a mission and service trip, along with several doctors. We toured around the country, especially to places where people cannot even afford to buy a glass of milk or a burger at McDonald’s. I witnessed a variety of different medical conditions that each child had, from a simple toothache to more complex symptoms such as diabetes. While a few may have visited a doctor, a majority of Guatemalans have never visited a doctor, nor received treatment if they had health issues. When a dentist from our team helped clean and brush their teeth, you can tell they were not used to it when they covered their mouths because of the “mintiness” or “coolness” of the toothpaste. Many of them, especially children, also struggle from asthma and other heart issues. With these types of conditions, we sent them to bigger hospitals in the city for treatment, under the expense of a church that sponsored the trip.
The idea that many people have not received treatment ever since they experienced these symptoms were hurtful and made me realize that health care around the world is much needed. A person’s background or how poor they are should not matter when medical conditions are life threatening.
Hi Lillie,
ReplyDeleteThis was an enjoyable read, and a great charity pitch. I've always wanted to go to Israel, and now I have an idea of what to do there!
I've never heard of Saving a Child's Heart before, but this allowed me to really feel informed about it. It's great that they take complete care of the children, including paying for costs such as hospital stays. It reminds me of the charity pitch about the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Those families already go through a lot with the medical issues they have, and the financial burden just makes it so much worse; sometimes, it even prevents families from going to get the help they need, not wanting to go into more debt than they already are.
One thing that captivated me in your charity pitch was your personal connection with Saving a Child's Heart. I've always thought that while speaking is the most direct way to learn about and communicate with someone, it's the non-verbal cues that may help us learn more about others than we think. I am trying to become an elementary school teacher, and I would love to be able to teach children with special needs. Therefore, I know how much non-verbal communication is vital to children, and am glad you were able to be the person to help those children in Israel, and I'm sure they loved having you around.
I also didn't expect Save a Child's Heart to provide training for doctors. When I read the beginning of your charity pitch, I assumed that the medical staff involved would all be highly trained. It's a win-win situation, as the children get the medical assistance they need, and those helping the children get more training in.
What I think I found the most captivating was how your organization has a group that travels around the world to places like Tanzania to provide the assistance these kids might not have access to, both geographically and financially. It shows that these people involved in SACH really want to help the children, and will do anything, including traveling long distances, to ensure these kids' health improves.
When I go to Israel, I hope to get the chance to help volunteer at SACH, and have a similar experience to what you had when you were there.
I look forward to hearing your charity pitch presentation on Tuesday!
Hi Lillie,
ReplyDeleteAs a (hopefully) future pediatrician, the mission of Save A Child's Heart really stands out to me. I remember walking into my first shift as a volunteer in the Stony Brook University Pediatric Intensive Care Unit four years ago and it is a understatement to say that my heart was absolutely broken. So many parents desperately waiting for news outside of their toddler's hospital room, unable to go in, and so many children looking outside their window on a sunny day wishing they were outside playing tag with their friends.
I've attached an article at the conclusion of my blog post describing the effect of a child's illness on the family. Taking the perspective to look at a child's illness from the point of view of its long term effects allows me to see just how deeply a tragedy such as a cardiovascular disease has. It is too often that the guilt we feel when hearing of diseases and medical emergencies with children are focused on the children without taking into account of their support systems. A little one's support system is immensely important to their development and happiness, and the work that SACH does ensures that this support system will be able to completely focus on being there for their child's recovery, which often makes all the difference in maintaining a kid's confidence and well-being throughout their treatment.
In the article, it is described how the financial situation that arises from funding travel costs, medical bills, and day care for the child's siblings causes an enormous amount of stress that may affect the parent or guardians ability to be there for their child. This deviation of focus from the child can only have negative impacts. In fact, it is frequent that the child exhibits "well-meaning" behaviors attempting to reduce expenses for the family, and this only heightens guilt experienced by the parents. However, Save A Child's Heart takes this burden off of the family, and it is this responsibility the organization takes on that I feel makes it such an impactful group.
Twenty-three percent of the donations towards SACH are directed towards accommodation and travel expenses, and sixty-seven percent to actual treatment. The burden of guilt and finances is completely lifted off of the families with children being treated for their cardiovascular illnesses by SACH, and they are again able to focus on being there for their little boy or girl. This support system can mean all the difference in saving not only the child's heart, but their happiness as well.
Link to previously mentioned article: https://www.nationaljewish.org/conditions/pediatric-emotional-health/impact-on-family