Operation Mend a Heart
Sen.
Mary Landrieu Announces Partnership Between Tulane and U.S. Military
New Orleans, LA, August 15, 2005
At a press conference today, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) announced
a partnership between the United States Military, Tulane University Hospital
& Clinic (TUHC) and Tulane University Health Sciences Center. The
project, Operation Mend a Heart, was formed in June 2005
to provide humanitarian medical assistance to underprivileged children
of war torn foreign countries who would otherwise not have access to pediatric
medical and surgical care. Medical services, treatment and medical education
will be provided at no charge to patients or their families.
“The people behind Operation Mend a Heart understand that one way
we can support our troops is by supporting the people they are fighting
for, the children of Iraq,” explained Landrieu. “Operation
Mend a Heart will help provide the humanitarian medical assistance to
the underprivileged children of Iraq who would otherwise not have access
to the pediatric medical and surgical care they need.”
Operation Mend a Heart’s first patient is an eight-year-old Iraqi
boy who has a congenital heart defect (a ventricular septal defect, commonly
referred to as a hole in the heart). The child and his mother are expected
to arrive in New Orleans later this month. Leading the Tulane medical
team will be pediatric heart surgeon Jeff Myers and pediatric cardiologist
Bob Ascuitto. While in New Orleans, mother and child will reside at a
Tulane residential facility. The hospital stay is expected to be five
days; recovery will be about four weeks.
Landrieu continued, “Even though Baher (pronounced Bah-hair) cannot
get the medical treatment he needs in Iraq, he can get it right here in
New Orleans.”
According to program founder Karen Troyer-Caraway, a vice president of
TUHC, “Most Americans think of our military in combat roles. Many
Americans do not realize that our military mission also includes humanitarian
assistance rebuilding communities and investing in the future. Operation
Mend a Heart is ordinary Americans helping the U. S. military accomplish
its mission.”
Making Operation Mend a Heart a reality has been a true team effort, including
Tulane Hospital; Tulane University; U.S. Central Command in Qatar; Humanitarian
Operation Center in Kuwait; the U.S. military medical team in Iraq; and
U.S. Central Command Air Force, Air Mobility Division. Leading the efforts
has been Denham Springs, Louisiana native Lieutenant Colonel Mark Matthews
Sr. who is with U. S. Central Command in Qatar.
“We began the process of identifying children in need over six months
ago,” Matthews said. “The next step, and perhaps the most
difficult, was to select just one child. Arranging for medical records,
visa and military clearance, transportation, military accompaniment during
travel and interpreters have all been part of the logistics. We even have
assigned the mother and child a cultural liaison, a Tulane hospital executive
and his family who are from Iraq.”
Besides commitment and cooperation, Operation Mend a Heart takes funding,
especially for travel, meals and mother/child incidental expenses. Tulane
University Hospital & Clinic and Tulane University Health Sciences
Center are providing the inpatient and outpatient medical services for
the young patient.
As the lead sponsor, Hancock Bank today presented a check for $5,000,
and the Louisiana Rotary pledged its fund-raising support. Other services
are being donated by Sullivan, Stolier and Resor, APLC, and LaPorte, Sehrt,
Romig and Hand, APAC.
The fundraising efforts will be enhanced by the sale of Operation Mend
a Heart military “dog tags.” Troyer-Caraway explained, “When
people hear about Operation Mend a Heart, their first reaction is to ask
how they can become involved. To that end, we are making available Operation
Mend a Heart dog tags for a minimum donation of $10.”
In closing, Landrieu challenged other states to adopt Operation Mend a
Heart saying, “I hope Operation Mend a Heart is only the beginning.
So far, Tulane has already identified 50 underprivileged Iraqi children
who require immediate medical attention, and I challenge every state to
follow Louisiana’s lead. If each state were to adopt just one child,
we will have made an incredible difference in saving the lives of these
innocent children.”
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Contact:
Betsie Gambel, Keating Magee
504.299.7157 or 504.319.3442 cell
bgambel@keatingmagee.com
Karen Troyer-Caraway, Tulane University Hospital & Clinic
504.988.2968 or 504.628.2151 cell
karen.troyer-caraway@hcahealthcare.com
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