A Patient Named “Praise”
According to a statement released by the HeartGift Louisiana organization, one in every 100 children is born with some form of congenital heart disease. Luckily, children in the United States have the opportunity to be treated and go on to live normal lives no matter their financial standing. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for 93 percent of the world’s youth.
HeartGift’s main goal is to provide access to this care and treatment to children in other countries that don’t have these medical advances. On Jan. 12, HeartGift Louisiana flew in their 31st sponsored child to receive lifesaving surgery to correct his congenital heart defect. “Praise” is a 2-year-old boy from Nigeria who was born with a large atrial septal defect – essentially a hole in his heart – that could only be closed surgically. Praise and his mother Philomena stayed in Louisiana for 20 days so he could undergo surgery and recuperate before returning home. HeartGift Louisiana provides airfare and housing for all of their sponsored patients, as well as working with physicians and surgeons at Children’s Hospital who donate their time and talent for free. HeartGift Louisiana was established in early 2010. Nationally, HeartGift has served 270 patients.
To learn more and to donate, visit HeartGift.org/chapters/louisiana.
Helping Players
Tulane University School of Medicine was named the official screening partner for the NFL Player Care Foundation’s Healthy Body and Mind Screening Program, which took place prior to Super Bowl 50. The Healthy Body and Mind Screening Program, along with the NFL Alumni Association and Tulane School of Medicine, provided former NFL players with opportunity to receive free medical evaluations and mental health resources. “This is a very important program for these guys,” says Dr. Gregory Steward, medical director of the NFL Player Care Foundations screenings program at Tulane. “We have found former players with significant heart disease and some with prostate cancer,” he continues. “This program saves lives.”
