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Special Announcement: Our $5,000 Donation To Gift Of Life!!!

By Adam Pick on March 31, 2010

Since starting this website four years ago, my primary objective was to help future patients and caregivers understand the challenges, opportunities and realities of heart valve surgery.

Patient & Author, Adam Pick, Donates $5,000 To Gift of Life

Today, I am very excited to share another objective for this work - helping children with heart problems. That said, earlier today, we made a $5,000 donation to the Gift of Life charity.

So you know... In 2008, I was introduced to Gift of Life when Shanna Andrews, a teenager desperately needing aortic valve replacement, emailed me asking for help.

Although I could not afford to pay for Shanna's surgery (or travel from Trinidad), I immediately searched the Internet looking for assistance. I was lucky to meet Jim Frame, the Chair of Gift of Life Northeast Ohio and past Rotary International District Governor.

Shanna Andrews - Heart Valve Replacement Patient

Shanna Andrews (right) With Her Mother (Sharon)

Shortly after I introduced Jim to Shanna, Gift of Life brought Shanna from Trinidad to New York City where she underwent aortic valve replacement surgery. Two years later, Shanna is back in Trinidad attending college!

Needless to say, I was inspired by the Gift of Life's swift action to save Shanna from the perils of heart valve disease. I was so moved by this experience, I began asking myself, "How can I help raise donations to support Gift of Life?"

One of the immediate ways to raise money for Gift of Life was developing sponsorship opportunities for surgeons, cardiac care clinics and heart valve device manufacturers at this website. So, over the past twelve months, I began discussing charitable possibilities with several people within the heart valve surgery community.

The response to this idea was very positive and I actually began raising money to support Gift of Life. It is for this reason, I am able to send Gift of Life a check for $5,000 today.

You will notice that this post is titled, "Our $5,000 Donation Gift Of Life!". I would like to emphasize the use of the word "Our" in the title. It is because of you - your comments in the blog, your surgeon profiles uploaded at the Heart Valve Surgeon Database, your posts at Heart Valve Journals and your purchases of my book - that we could attract the attention of our sponsors.

I am beyond thankful for you. Thanks to you, we are pursuing healthy hearts in children all over the world through the Gift of Life.

I feel blessed and honored to know you... Even if we have never met.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Keep on tickin!
Adam

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Written by Adam Pick
Patient & Website Founder

Written by Adam Pick - Patient & Website Founder

Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. In 2006, Adam founded HeartValveSurgery.com to educate and empower patients. This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today.

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