News
CMAJ Israeli charity sows “seeds of peace”
A
Save a Child’s Heart Foundation
s the conflict in the Middle “We have to help any child that at Wolfson, is completing fellowship at East continues, a charity in needs medical assistance and it doesn’t the Hospital for Sick Children in Israel with links to Canada is matter if he belongs to Hamas,” says Toronto, which raises more than $1 trying to ensure that children with carSasson. million annually for SACH. diac problems are given the Dekel is looking forward best medical care, regardless to further supervision under of where they’re from. Sasson and eventually perDr. Lior Sasson and his forming surgeries on his own. team, which will soon include He says he has gained invalua surgeon now training in Canable experience in his two ada, have performed thousands years in Canada. “I’m coming of heart surgeries on children back to Israel as a completely from both sides of the conflict different surgeon.” zone and beyond for the Save a With Dekel’s arrival in Child’s Heart (SACH) FounIsrael in the summer of 2015, dation. Based at the Wolfson Sasson hopes to eventually Medical Center in Holon, double the number of surgerIsrael, just south of Tel Aviv, ies SACH performs. Sasson and his 80-member SACH also recruits volunteam — including anesthesiolteers from its 11 branches. ogists, technicians and nurses Toronto resident Alanna — largely volunteer their time Galper, 19, recently assisted with SACH, but are otherwise children post-surgery. “A lot employed at Wolfson. of the kids come without their Lior Sasson (left) and Dr. Hagi Dekel perform heart surgery on Since being founded in Dr. parents so just to give them a child as part of their work with Save a Child’s Heart Foundation 1995, SACH has facilitated in Holon, Israel. something to do and make heart surgeries on more than them happy while they’re 3400 children. About half are from the He views these Palestinian children here.” Galper had a congenital heart Arab world, 10% are from Israel and as “seeds for peace” amidst the ongodefect that required surgery and says the the remaining 40% are from Africa, ing conflict and prides himself on savcare she received motivated her to get Asia, elsewhere in the Middle East and ing children regardless of politics. “I involved with the organization. “It’s my more recently Azerbaijan, or are refuthink children should be out of this way of giving back and I can relate to gees from Syria. game.” the kids.” Even when borders are closed The parents of these children know Sasson’s motivation stems from between Palestine and Israel, SACH that when there is no help available in what he sees as a similar moral obligaattempts to leap logistical hurdles to their country, they must travel into tion. He donates about half his surgical transport children into Holon. “During enemy territory. Mothers are undertime to this cause; for the other half, the recent hostilities, whenever there standably anxious when they arrive. he’s head of cardiothoracic surgery at was a lull, there was a kid and a grandBut then “she sees that we treat her Wolfson. Over the years, he has trained parent or a parent coming from Gaza,” fairly, and her child, the same way we dozens of surgeons from countries such says Dr. Bernie Goldman, a Toronto treat an Israeli child. Her child is in bed as Ethiopia and Romania, as well as surgeon, chair of the Canadian branch next to an Israeli child,” says Sasson. Palestine. He also travels to medical of SACH and author of a book on the Sasson has performed 200–250 surmissions at SACH partner sites in the organization’s history: Mending Hearts, geries annually since joining SACH in developing world to teach, train and Building Bridges. 1995. As SACH’s sole surgeon, often operate. To facilitate Iraqi, Kurdish and Gaza doing two surgeries a day, the work can Sasson has no plans to slow down transfers, it works with Shevet Achim, be exhausting, admits Sasson, who is and says he is eager to have another sura Christian group in Israel with a hostel 54 years old. geon at his side. “I’m only 54,” he says. in Jerusalem, to house patients and He is eagerly awaiting the arrival of “I hope to be doing this a lot longer.” — families. SACH has facilitated surgeranother Israeli surgeon who is getting Adam Miller, Holon, Israel ies on more than 1600 patients from the additional training in Canada. Dr. Hagi Palestinian authority. Dekel, 42, who was a pediatric surgeon CMAJ 2015. DOI:10.1503/cmaj.109-4900
©2015 8872147 Canada Inc. or its licensors
CMAJ, January 6, 2015, 187(1)
E7
CMAJ Israeli charity sows “seeds of peace”
A
Save a Child’s Heart Foundation
s the conflict in the Middle “We have to help any child that at Wolfson, is completing fellowship at East continues, a charity in needs medical assistance and it doesn’t the Hospital for Sick Children in Israel with links to Canada is matter if he belongs to Hamas,” says Toronto, which raises more than $1 trying to ensure that children with carSasson. million annually for SACH. diac problems are given the Dekel is looking forward best medical care, regardless to further supervision under of where they’re from. Sasson and eventually perDr. Lior Sasson and his forming surgeries on his own. team, which will soon include He says he has gained invalua surgeon now training in Canable experience in his two ada, have performed thousands years in Canada. “I’m coming of heart surgeries on children back to Israel as a completely from both sides of the conflict different surgeon.” zone and beyond for the Save a With Dekel’s arrival in Child’s Heart (SACH) FounIsrael in the summer of 2015, dation. Based at the Wolfson Sasson hopes to eventually Medical Center in Holon, double the number of surgerIsrael, just south of Tel Aviv, ies SACH performs. Sasson and his 80-member SACH also recruits volunteam — including anesthesiolteers from its 11 branches. ogists, technicians and nurses Toronto resident Alanna — largely volunteer their time Galper, 19, recently assisted with SACH, but are otherwise children post-surgery. “A lot employed at Wolfson. of the kids come without their Lior Sasson (left) and Dr. Hagi Dekel perform heart surgery on Since being founded in Dr. parents so just to give them a child as part of their work with Save a Child’s Heart Foundation 1995, SACH has facilitated in Holon, Israel. something to do and make heart surgeries on more than them happy while they’re 3400 children. About half are from the He views these Palestinian children here.” Galper had a congenital heart Arab world, 10% are from Israel and as “seeds for peace” amidst the ongodefect that required surgery and says the the remaining 40% are from Africa, ing conflict and prides himself on savcare she received motivated her to get Asia, elsewhere in the Middle East and ing children regardless of politics. “I involved with the organization. “It’s my more recently Azerbaijan, or are refuthink children should be out of this way of giving back and I can relate to gees from Syria. game.” the kids.” Even when borders are closed The parents of these children know Sasson’s motivation stems from between Palestine and Israel, SACH that when there is no help available in what he sees as a similar moral obligaattempts to leap logistical hurdles to their country, they must travel into tion. He donates about half his surgical transport children into Holon. “During enemy territory. Mothers are undertime to this cause; for the other half, the recent hostilities, whenever there standably anxious when they arrive. he’s head of cardiothoracic surgery at was a lull, there was a kid and a grandBut then “she sees that we treat her Wolfson. Over the years, he has trained parent or a parent coming from Gaza,” fairly, and her child, the same way we dozens of surgeons from countries such says Dr. Bernie Goldman, a Toronto treat an Israeli child. Her child is in bed as Ethiopia and Romania, as well as surgeon, chair of the Canadian branch next to an Israeli child,” says Sasson. Palestine. He also travels to medical of SACH and author of a book on the Sasson has performed 200–250 surmissions at SACH partner sites in the organization’s history: Mending Hearts, geries annually since joining SACH in developing world to teach, train and Building Bridges. 1995. As SACH’s sole surgeon, often operate. To facilitate Iraqi, Kurdish and Gaza doing two surgeries a day, the work can Sasson has no plans to slow down transfers, it works with Shevet Achim, be exhausting, admits Sasson, who is and says he is eager to have another sura Christian group in Israel with a hostel 54 years old. geon at his side. “I’m only 54,” he says. in Jerusalem, to house patients and He is eagerly awaiting the arrival of “I hope to be doing this a lot longer.” — families. SACH has facilitated surgeranother Israeli surgeon who is getting Adam Miller, Holon, Israel ies on more than 1600 patients from the additional training in Canada. Dr. Hagi Palestinian authority. Dekel, 42, who was a pediatric surgeon CMAJ 2015. DOI:10.1503/cmaj.109-4900
©2015 8872147 Canada Inc. or its licensors
CMAJ, January 6, 2015, 187(1)
E7
