One patient leads to another
Over 24 years ago there was a 12-year-old Nigerian girl who was in desperate need of surgery to correct her congenital heart defect in order to save her life. Unfortunately, she had lived with her defect for too long and her condition was too far gone. Dr. William Novick, as a resident in cardiac surgery at the University of Alabama, learned that if she had received treatment sooner, she could have had the corrective surgery she needed to save her life. Dr. Novick’s mentor, Dr. Albert Pacifico, performed her operation, only to extend her life by a few years.
Dr. Novick, plagued with nightmares of this lost life, was determined to save other children. In the midst of Croatia’s war to break away from Yugoslavia, Dr. Novick accepted an invitation to go to Zagreb to operate on children suffering from congenital heart disease. Here initiated his program of performing pediatric cardiac surgery, providing the skills and training necessary for that country’s doctors to go on and save their own children. This first trip, and the program of saving lives paired with education, led to the creation of the International Children’s Heart Foundation. On that first mission trip to Croatia, Bill operated on 14 children, the first of whom was  a 10-year-old boy named Zoran, who had  tricuspid valve atresia. The tragedy of the Nigerian girl led to the triumph of this boy receiving his surgery in 1993. Then 6,999 children later, led to a hospital in Tegucigalpa, Honduras in 2014 where a boy named Gabriel was waiting for his surgery.
Gabriel is a 2-year-old boy from Tegucigalpa who, at 4-months-old, was diagnosed with double outlet right ventricle defect and ventricular septal defect. An only child, his mother, Gabriella, is raising him by herself. She works at a local motorcycle shop and their home is 15 minutes away from the hospital. Gabriel loves to play soccer, rather than stay indoors and watch TV.  Due to his heart condition, Gabriel was forced to stop activities such as soccer. When Gabriel was 11-months-old, the doctors informed his mother that the treatments he was on were not working. As the surgery Gabriel’s heart required was not available in Honduras, the International Children’s Heart Foundation was his only shot. Gabriel was scheduled to receive treatment during our Babyheart mission in October of 2013, but he arrived sick and therefore, inoperable. His mother continued to hold onto hope and never give up. Babyheart wouldn’t give up either. On our 20th medical mission trip to Honduras, Gabriel received his operation.
On March 5, 2014 at 12:43 local time Gabriel became the 7000th child to receive a life-saving operation at the hands of a Babyheart surgeon. In this case, Dr. Max Sharma, Babyheart volunteer surgeon, operated on Gabriel. Dr. Kathleen Fenton, who has been with ICHF since 2006 heading up the program in Nicaragua, scrubbed in to assist. The nurses in the ICU said Gabriel was very playful, but shy and didn’t like getting his picture taken. They would have to sneak up on him and snap a few quick pictures before he noticed. Just like our other Babyheart patients, he was unique with his own special lively personality that only grew more as he recovered at the expert hands of Babyheart volunteers in the pediatric intensive care unit.

His mother was very grateful and said words cannot express what her heart feels now that her son’s heart is healed. One day, she hopes he will grow up to be an architect and live a healthy life. Gabriel recuperated well, as thousands of children before him did and walked out of the ICU two days later. Now, Gabriel has returned home to continue to recover, grow, and play soccer!
Six more children received operations the day of Gabriel’s operation, bring ICHF’s total operations to #7006. There was actually a running competition as to who would get patient #7000. Because ICHF rarely operates only in one place at one time there were two other missions occurring at the same time as Honduras. There were two programs operating on the other side of the world in Benghazi, Libya and Nasiriyah, Iraq. Both medical teams were communicating with Dr. Novick and ICU Coordinator & Clinical Researcher, Frank Molloy, as to who would obtain the lucky goal of being the medical mission trip that achieved the 7000th pediatric heart surgery.
Special recognition must be paid to ICHF’s collaborating charity in Tegucigalpa, Helping Hands for Honduras, led by Chairman and CEO Ron Roll. Helping Hands for Honduras have been an invaluable part of the Babyheart mission offering in-country logistical support and helping arrangements for patients to come to the hospital for treatment.
There’s a saying: “a great journey begins with a single step”. Dr. William Novick’s and ICHF’s journey started with a single heart, and that first healed heart in Croatia has led to 7000 hearts. 7000 children, 7000 hearts, millions of miles flown by medical volunteers, 33 countries. 368 mission trips. And there are no signs of slowing down as the medical missions continue. According to CHD global statistics there are still 6 million children waiting for heart surgery worldwide. Babyheart is striving to reach them all. ICHF will hopefully soon be celebrating 10,000 healed hearts!
Congratulations to our Babyheart team of volunteers for this accomplishment!
Babyheart team members who served on this mission:
Dr. Max Sharma, Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon

Dr. Kathleen Fenton, Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, ICHF
Nitasha Joyner, Perfusionist
James O’Leary, MD, Anesthesiologist
Nelson Varas, MD, Anesthesiologist
Mark Gelatt, MD, Cardiologist
Joel Lutterman, MD, Interventional Cardiologist
Enrique Carrion, MD, Intensivist
Barbara Ferdman, MD, Intensivist
Nita Mohanty, MD Intensivist
Stacey Marr,  PICU Nurse Practitioner & Educator, ICHF
Lindsay Bailer, Respiratory Therapist
Roy Morris, Biomedical Engineer, ICHF
Andrea Yuel, ICU Nurse & Educator
Maggie Wong, PICU Nurse
Laura McKenzie, ICU Nurse
Colette Brodt, ICU Nurse
Justine Mize, ICU Nurse
Sarah Harrison, ICU Nurse

Dr. Novick confirmed that the product appeared to be helping at which point Neil offered to donate Basin Glove as needed.

Thank you Neil, for your charity, entrepreneurship, and inventing a great product like Basin Glove !

Now support our partners and visit Basin Glove’s website below !

Basin Glove 

Mia Hattaway is only 7 years old and she raised $125 for the International Children’s Heart Foundation. She was getting tired of the fundraisers at her school and never knowing where or who her money was helping. Because she lost her grandfather to heart problems she wanted to explore charities that served people suffering from heart conditions. She and her mother found the International Children’s Heart Foundation via the 4 star rating on Charity Navigator. They visited the website, Babyheart.org, saw the pics and videos and knew they found the right place, an organization that helps children Mia’s age and all ages suffering from congenital heart defects. She applied something she loved doing, making rainbow bracelets, and posted her own fundraising page.

The funds she raised have gone towards children in the latest Babyheart mission in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

Mia’s Mission

The International Children’s Heart Foundation lost a dear friend this week. Samuel Cox recently passed away at the age of 96. He was a Memphian, a business owner, a WW II veteran, a family man and he supported ICHF. His business, Alert Terminal Warehouse, allowed ICHF to store donated and purchased medical supplies and equipment at no charge. ATW’s financial and logistical support has helped save countless lives of children throughout the world over the years. We are indebted to Samuel Cox for his support of the Babyheart mission. ICHF wishes to extend our deep felt thoughts and prayers to his family during this time.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the International Children’s Heart Foundation.

SAMUEL A. COX, JR., died February 18, 2014 at the age of 96. He was born on February 3, 1918 in New Orleans, LA to the late Agnes M. Barilleaux and Samuel A. Cox, Sr. He graduated from Warren Eastern High School and attended Tulane University. He married Audrey G. Ackermann on February 8, 1942 at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, and they remained happily married for a remarkable 72 years. One of the ”Ghost Mountain Boys” of the New Guinea campaign of World War II, he was one of its few survivors. After his honorable discharge from the Army, his military records were destroyed in a fire; after many years and extensive efforts to reconstruct records of his service in 2001, Senator Fred Thompson awarded Sam a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for valor in the Pacific at a ceremony that was held at the Peabody Hotel. Sam and Audrey moved to Memphis, TN in 1955 where they established a thriving business, Alert Terminal Warehouse, that today is a third generation family enterprise. Sam loved spending time at the beach and at his and Audrey’s lake house at Pickwick; he was an accomplished hunter and fisherman, teaching his sons and grandchildren those skills. He was a good man, always kind and patient, with an endless reserve of common sense and realism. Ever a gentleman, he was extremely protective of and devoted to his wife and family. Outgoing and gregarious, he loved people and they invariably loved him in return. Sam was a member of the International Warehouseman’s and Logistics Association, the Memphis Warehouseman’s Association, the Southeastern Warehouseman’s Association, and the Memphis Traffic Club. He was also Flotilla Commander of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Church of the Holy Spirit. He was also active in Boy Scouts of America. He was loved by his family and many friends and will be greatly missed by all. He is survived by his wife Audrey, his sons, Samuel A. Cox III, Robert W. Cox (Karen), and Timothy J. Cox; by his grandchildren, Samuel A. Cox IV (Lalla), Caroline A. Cox (Galen Gower) and Kevin W. Cox; and by his great-grandchildren, Jackson Cox and Addison Cox, and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the International Children’s Heart foundation. They are also deeply grateful to the hospice staff and to the caregivers, and for the pastoral care received from the Church of the Holy Spirit. the family will receive visitors on Friday, February 21 from 5-7 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 22 at Church of the Holy Spirit, 2300 Hickory Crest Dr., Memphis, TN, with entombment to follow in Memorial Park Mausoleum.