Providing Aid in the Midst of War in Iraq

Container of Medical Supplies Shipped Today

Another shipment of medical supplies left the Giving Children Hope office today to benefit military and clinics in Iraq. Medicines will help build relationships within the community while providing relief and aid to troops serving overseas.

Thank you for your partnership to make this shipment possible!

2011.02.18 by Holly Johns

A Respectful Thank You for Medical Supplies

Giving Children Hope’s fruitful partnership with the US Department of Defense has allowed for an estimated $1.7 million worth of supplies to be processed since October to aid projects in Iraq. The following letter shows just how helpful and necessary the medical shipments have been, and just how grateful the recipients are to receive them.

“Dear Giving Children Hope and Union Rescue Mission:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the gracious shipments of Medical Supplies we have received. We received the supplies here in Kuwait and have sent them to our Soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Our soldiers have assured us that the medical supplies are doing a great deal of good in their respective areas. The supplies have been given to rural clinics and hospitals where they will be able to provide aid to hundreds of people who are unable to travel to larger hospitals.

Please accept our thanks for your donations. We would not be able to accomplish this paramount mission without the support of organizations such as yours.

Sincerely,

Leonard C. Hawkins
COL, CA
Team Chief”

2011.01.12 by Jenna Sutherlin

Sending Aid in Time for the Holidays

A shipment of medical supplies is leaving the Giving Children Hope facilities today for communities in Iraq. These shipments will be received by the US government just in time for the holidays and distributed to local hospitals and clinics to aid in war-affected regions.

Please check back for updates once the product is received!

2010.12.15 by Holly Johns

Two Shipments of Supplies to Aid Basra

This week, two containers filled with medicines and medical supplies will leave the Giving Children Hope facility to benefit Dr. Hamdan in Basra, Iraq.

2010.10.13 by Harmony Trevino

Shipment Leaves for Iraq

GCHope is committed to helping Iraq’s developing clinics and provide aid when needed. This shipment is part of GCHope’s ongoing efforts to bring the best medical supplies and equipment doctors need to treat their patients.

2010.07.02 by Harmony Trevino

Photos from Al-Qurna Hospital in Iraq

Click here to check out photos of how Giving Children Hope has helped provide medical aid in hospitals and clinics in Iraq.

2010.03.12 by GCHope

Another Shipment of Medical Supplies Leaves

Giving Children Hope has sent a shipment of supplies to help Iraq with medical clinic development. This shipment is a part of our ongoing health care development project.

2009.09.01 by Harmony Trevino

Medical Supplies Arrive in Iraq

Medical supplies and equipment have arrived in Kuwait and will be distributed to local clinics who are low on supplies.

Supplies were delivered and issued by the IGFC (Iraqi Ground Forces Command) who are part of the Iraqi Army.

Here is a thank you from a solider

Let me start off by saying thank you on behalf of the many Iraqi people you have helped through your efforts and generosity.

The photos attached are from just one of the numerous IGFC deliveries of your donated medical supplies to local medical clinics (covering seven different cities and six different provinces) over the past few weeks.

Your medical supplies are helping a great number of Iraqi citizens in need.

I look forward to hearing from you to discuss how we can make this possible.

Thank you again.

Maj. T.W.

2009.06.29 by Harmony Trevino

Aid to Iraq (Kurdistan)

Giving Children Hope has sent another shipment of medical aid to Kurdistan, Iraq to help with medical development.

2009.05.20 by Harmony Trevino

Medical Supplies Arrive at the Hawker Center

Medical supplies arrive at the Hawker Center in Iraq! Thank you to everyone who made this shipment possible!

2009.04.29 by Harmony Trevino

Shipment Leaves for Northern Iraq

Another shipment of medical supplies is making its way to the north of Iraq.

Giving Children Hope and Dr. Al-Jaff thank you for all of your support!

2009.03.24 by Harmony Trevino

Shipment Leaves for Soldiers in Iraq

Giving Children Hope has shipped supplies to American soldiers serving in Iraq. Thank you to everyone who donated and made this shipment possible!

2009.03.17 by Harmony Trevino

Dr. Al-Jaff Asks for Your Help

Visiting California from Iraq, Dr. Al-Jaff asks for your help to send critical medical supplies to Iraq.

2009.03.17 by Harmony Trevino

An Interview About Health Care in Iraq

Check out the interview with Dr. Hamed Ahmed Mahmood Al-Jaff, Giving Children Hope’s director of distribution of our aid that gets sent to the north of Iraq in Kurdistan.

Read Jenise’s blog entry about him.

2009.03.11 by Harmony Trevino

A Thank You from Iraq

Giving Children Hope has received thank you letters from our partners in Iraq:

To: Giving Children Hope

Following your kind cooperation and support of the health sector in Sulaimanya in providing us with your medical equipment and supplies, we would like to express our gratitude to your effort in achieving the health projects.

We hope that you will continue in such a kind of help with us.

Best regards,

Dr. Sherko Abdualaa Rashid
General Director

To: Giving Children Hope

I am writing this letter as the chief of teaching hospital in Sulaimanya city-Iraq on behalf of all doctors and staffs in our hospital to express our wonderful gratitude for your amazing help in providing us with your medical supplies. We want to let you know that it was quite beneficial. There were a strong lack of those supplies hoping that you will continue to assist as always in this regard.

Best regards,

Dr. Sabah A. Abdulhakem
Director of Sulaimani Teaching Hospital

2009.03.04 by Harmony Trevino

Supplies and Soldier Care Packages Ship

Giving Children Hope has sent another container of medical supplies. With this container, the Yorba Linda Rotary help send care packages for soldiers serving in Iraq.

A big thank you to the “Yorba Linda Rotary“giving-back-to-the-community.html for helping making this shipment so special!

2009.02.23 by Harmony Trevino

List of Items Needed from Our Field Partners

Items needed to supply the entire Basra Province

• 1500 Blankets
• 2500 Shoes
• 1000 Soccer uniforms for children (tops and bottoms)
• 1000 Heaters
• 300 Wheel Chairs
• 1000 Soccer Balls
• 500 Water Purifiers
• 1000 cases of HA Rations (meals)
• 500 Cases of Water
• 1000 winter coats (children and adult)
• 1000 pairs of winter gloves
• winter clothes

Additional Items requested by our field partners

- 300 Soccer ball pumps with needles for inflation – 500 Large white boards for school classrooms – 500 Bulletin Boards (notice boards) for schools – Medicine types/amounts TBD by Doctors – 50,000 stuffed toys – 50,000 reading books for school kids – 500 pairs of crutches

2009.02.17 by Harmony Trevino

Shipment Arrives

Our first shipment of medical supplies, educational aid and nonperishable food finally arrived in Iraq the last week of April. Due to a delay in Dubai and the suicide bombings, the shipment was held over for almost a month.

1969.12.31 by

Shipment Leaves for Iraq

Giving Children Hope loaded and sent out a container filled with medical equipment and supplies such as surgical, lab and oxygen supplies.

This container is part of an ongoing health care development program comprised of regular shipments to the region.

Iraq, officially Republic of Iraq, is bordered on the south by Kuwait, the Persian Gulf, and Saudi Arabia; on the west by Jordan and Syria; on the north by Turkey; and on the east by Iran. Iraq formerly shared a neutral zone with Saudi Arabia that is now divided between the two countries. Baghdad is the capital and largest city. (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia)

1969.12.31 by

Preparing Container

Giving Children Hope is preparing another container of humanitarian aid to be sent to Iraq this month.

The container will be filled with medical equipment and supplies such as surgical, lab and oxygen supplies.

This container is part of an ongoing health care development program comprised of monthly shipments to the region.

Iraq, officially Republic of Iraq, is bordered on the south by Kuwait, the Persian Gulf, and Saudi Arabia; on the west by Jordan and Syria; on the north by Turkey; and on the east by Iran. Iraq formerly shared a neutral zone with Saudi Arabia that is now divided between the two countries. Baghdad is the capital and largest city. The country is divided into 18 provinces (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia)

1969.12.31 by

Shipment to Basra

Today, Giving Children Hope sent container of humanitarian aid to Basra, Iraq.

The 40-foot container was filled with medical equipment and supplies such as surgical, lab, and oxygen supplies.

Through an ongoing health care development program in Iraq, Giving Children Hope sends an average of three 40-foot containers per month full of medical equipment and supplies bound for a region in Iraq.

Giving Children Hope is dedicated to improving the lives of Iraqi children and families through the replenishment of local hospitals and medical clinics.

Iraq, officially Republic of Iraq, is bordered on the south by Kuwait, the Persian Gulf, and Saudi Arabia; on the west by Jordan and Syria; on the north by Turkey; and on the east by Iran. Iraq formerly shared a neutral zone with Saudi Arabia that is now divided between the two countries. Baghdad is the capital and largest city. The country is divided into 18 provinces (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia)

2008.04.08 by

Preparing Shipment for Kurdistan

Giving Children Hope is preparing to send another container of humanitarian aid to Iraqi Kurdistan within the week.

Through an ongoing healthcare development program in Iraq, Giving Children Hope sends an average of three 40-foot containers per month full of medical equipment and supplies bound for a region in Iraq.

Giving Children Hope is dedicated to improving the lives of Iraqi children and families through the replenishment of local hospitals and medical clinics.

The 40-foot container will be packed with medical equipment and supplies such as surgical supplies, lab supplies, and oxygen supplies.

Iraq, officially Republic of Iraq, is bordered on the south by Kuwait, the Persian Gulf, and Saudi Arabia; on the west by Jordan and Syria; on the north by Turkey; and on the east by Iran. Iraq formerly shared a neutral zone with Saudi Arabia that is now divided between the two countries. Baghdad is the capital and largest city. The country is divided into 18 provinces (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia)

1969.12.31 by

Shipment to Irbil

Giving Children Hope has sent the 40-foot container bound this week for Irbil will be packed with medical equipment and supplies such as a hospital bed, IV liquids, hospital linens, surgical supplies, a wash basin, lab supplies, and oxygen supplies.

1969.12.31 by

Container Leaves

Giving Children Hope loaded and sent out a container filled with medical equipment and supplies such as surgical, lab and oxygen supplies.

This container is part of an ongoing health care development program comprised of regular shipments to the region.

Iraq, officially Republic of Iraq, is bordered on the south by Kuwait, the Persian Gulf, and Saudi Arabia; on the west by Jordan and Syria; on the north by Turkey; and on the east by Iran. Iraq formerly shared a neutral zone with Saudi Arabia that is now divided between the two countries. Baghdad is the capital and largest city. (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia)

2008.07.30 by

Madeline Impellizzeri Helps Get Handmade Beanies on the Heads of US Soldiers in Iraq

When Madeline Impellizzeri retired she wanted to spend her time making a difference in the lives of others. The idea came to her to knit scarves for the homeless. She first decided to do 10, but was then inspired to knit 100 scarves. Her friends decided they could help her reach her goal and began to knit scarves for her along with beanies. Madeline heard about Giving Children Hope’s on-going healthcare program in Iraq to equip hospitals and clinics with new and refurbished medical equipment and supplies. GCH partners with Operation Beanie to provide handmade beanies to US soldiers serving their time. Madeline decided to donate the knitted beanies she and her friends had made to GCH. Board Director, Sharon Linzey, hand delivered the beanies to the soldiers on her last visit to Iraq in October 2007. The soldiers were indeed blessed by these handmade treasures. If you think you can’t make a difference, look to the example of Madeline and know that you CAN!

1969.12.31 by

More Aid to Iraq

Giving Children Hope has sent more humanitarian aid to Iraq, filled with medical equipment and supplies. This is the second shipment to Iraq this month.

2008.12.17 by

Iraq Shipment Leaves

Giving Children Hope sent another container of humanitarian aid to Iraq.

2008.12.12 by

Container leaves for Halabja, Iraq

A container of medical supplies and equipment left the GCH Distribution Center bound for Halabja, Iraq. This shipment is part of GCH’s ongoing health care development program in Iraq.

2007.11.20 by

2005 Update

The Continuing Medical Education (CME) program facilitates an exchange of information and knowledge between American doctors, hospitals, and universities, and Iraqi counterparts. This exchange is crucial since the Iraqi medical sector has been ravaged by years of wars and sanctions. War has created not only a shortage of medicines and equipment, but has also prevented physicians in the country from accessing the latest in medical technologies and practices.

In the past year, Giving Children Hope has been responsible for enabling three Iraqi physicians in the fields of re-constructive plastic surgery, neurosurgery, and orthopedic surgery, to train and observe surgeries at prestigious universities and hospitals in Southern California. With this essential groundwork set with high-ranking Iraqi doctors, CME is ready to expand by sending, for the first time, American physicians to Basra, while welcoming more Iraqi doctors to the United States.

On December 12, 2005, three American physicians will travel to Basra to observe and participate in pediatric spinal surgeries at local medical facilities.

Set for January of 2006, five Iraqi physicians will attend a four week advanced medical training course at the University of Southern California. All five are to be selected by Dr. Zuhair Fathallah, a plastic surgeon from Iraq and designated representative of CME, and approved by Dr. Thamer Hamdan, Chairman of GCH.

Dr. Hamdan has also been invited to be a distinguished speaker at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons in D.C.

Dr. Zuhair Fathallah, a plastic surgeon from Basra, Iraq, as a guest of Dr. Jim Beckman of Arkansas, attended an American Society of Plastic Surgeons conference in Chicago. He is currently being hosted by Giving Children Hope in Southern California as a part of GCH’s Continuing Medical Education (CME) program. Dr. Fathallah’s first day was spent with Dr. Christian Moore in Fullerton, and the remainder of his time will be spent at the University of Southern California observing re-constructive surgeries. Dr. Fathallah is concentrating on ear reconstruction in the hopes of assisting over 450 soldiers in Southern Iraq who had their ears removed as punishment for desertion. The effects of such war-related disfigurements transcend the physical realm, creating debilitating psychosocial problems for sufferers. Thus, the need for the transference of current medical practices in re-constructive surgery, among many other fields, is vital to the revitalization of the Iraqi medical sector.

In partnership with University California Irvine, Giving Children Hope has arranged the connections and logistics to bring evacuated canisters to test air quality for volatile organic compounds. Dr. Don Blake (Department of Chemistry) is facilitating the research work. The canisters were sent to the Embassy in Basra and delivered to Dr.Thamer Hamdan, Dean of the Medical College. A small press event was held with the opening of the first canisters near the Embassy compound. A full report will be available on request.

ANOTHER IRAQI PHYSICIAN WILL BE COMING TO ORANGE COUNTY!!

We have been asked to assist with the processing of a visa for Dr. Zuhair, a plastic surgeon who has been invited to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons which will be meeting September 24 in Chicago. He is part of the newly formed nongovernmental organization (NGO) Giving Children Hope-Iraq and was responsible for distributing our first container shipment of food in 2003 and for providing a place for us to stay in Basrah 2004.

Iraqi hospitals and pharmacies face a significant shortage of essential medicines and supplies due to years of conflict and continuous sanctions, but with GCH’s experience with medicine procurement and development, and your donations, a significant and beneficial change can be made to the Iraqi medical sector, and thus the Iraqi citizens who depend on this sector for their health and well being.

GCH is very grateful for the work of the American military in their efforts to work alongside the Iraqi people. Their humanitarian work in western Iraq has been exceptional and with that we are very grateful.

The construction work of the Rutbah Hospital will be completed in June. The servicemen have been instrumental in receiving the aid which has been brought to this area and making sure it is distributed to Primary Care facilities and clinics.

Although we are located in different sections of the globe, together we can and are making a difference.

Dr. T. A. Hamdan and Dr. Khalid Mayah visited the headquarters of Giving Children Hope yesterday. Dr. Hamdan, the Chairman of the Orthopaedic Surgery Dept. and Dean of the School of Medicine, University of Basra, Iraq and Dr. Mayah, Neurosurgeon and Director of the Teaching Hospital of the University of Basra were joined by Vance O. Gardner M.D. and Don Marquis, (President and Vice President of MediMultiMedia) and Co-Founder of Giving Children Hope. At GCH, they toured the facility and discussed future projects.

At MMM, they toured the web and media hosting servers in the data center and witnessed an online demonstration in the MMM conference room. Joint projects between MMM, OSI, Giving Children Hope and the Iraqi physicians were discussed. The projects discussed would require the expertise of all entities.

Giving Children Hope, experts in the logistics of medical equipment procurement and delivery to remote areas of the globe, and MediMultiMedia, Inc., developers of unique on-line medical training may help provide assistance to the equipment and training needs of the Iraqi health system. One plan is to partner with Southern California area hospitals to help with the “hands on” training and equipment needs of the Iraqi doctors. An on-line curriculum may also be developed with the University of Basra and it’s teaching hospitals. The search for funding of these exciting projects is underway.

Giving Children Hope will be working with Dr. Thamer Hamdan from the Basra Medical College and Dr. Khalid Mayah from the Alsadar/Basra Teaching Hospital to develope a biomedical program for the maintenance of medical equipment. An Iraqi engineer will be sent to the Global facility to train for 3 months on retrofitting and refurbishing medical equipment. This learning experience will be taken back to Iraq and shared so that others can replicate the process.

Iraqi physicians from Basra, located in Southern Iraq. Dr. Hamdan, orthopedic surgeon and Dean of a Medical College and Dr. Khalid, neurosurgeon and Director of a Teaching Hospital will be with us until February 22. Working with the medical staff of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Children’ s Hospital Orange County (CHOC), the doctors will be attending conferences in their specialty and observing numerous surgical procedures. In partnership with Dr. Vance Gardner, Executive Director of Orthopedic Specialties Institute (OSI) and Founder of MediMultiMedia Technology a “Virtual Institute” concept for compelling on-line education will be designed and implemented for use in the Middle East. This will start in Basra and be shared in Western Iraq where there is great enthusiasm for this program. These procedures as well as primary health care and forms of preventative medicine will be translated to Arabic and available online.

Giving Children Hope brought over two Iraqi physicians to the United States for Continued Medical Education (CME). Dr. Thamer Hamdan (Dean of the Basra Medical College, Orthopedic Surgeon, President of the Iraqi Orthopedic Association) and Dr. Khalid Mayah (Director of the Basra Teaching Hospital, Neurosurgeon), participated in the creation of a “virtual institute” while in Southern California. The two doctors observed and filmed pediatric spinal surgeries at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital of Orange County and later used these films as a teaching tool to instruct medical students in Iraq.

Unfortunately, years of sanctions have left the Iraqi medical sector dilapidated and under-resourced, necessitating programs like CME, which provide Iraqi physicians access to up-to-date procedures and technologies. By ensuring that Iraqi doctors are trained and supported to handle all the medical cases they encounter, the health and well being of thousands of Iraqi citizens will be safeguarded.

2005.12.30 by

Shipment leaves

Because the need for supplies in the southern region is so critical, the Deputy Governor of Basra personally met the shipment at the Kuwaiti border along with the local Basra TV station, the Regional Authority for Ministry of Health, the son of the chief Shiite cleric and 5 trucks from the Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Trade.

We are so grateful for the Humanitarian Office Center located in Kuwait and all of the work of Major Cheryl Allen who represents Public Health for the Army. The tireless efforts of our military, the British military and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) has been tremendous in allowing those in desperate need to receive the supplies sent all the way from California.

Mohan, Project Coordinator for Iraq, was able to monitor and assist with the distribution. The medical supplies went to a medical school, to be parceled out to 5 hospitals. Educational supplies were distributed to 10 schools and 1 kilo bags of nonperishable food were distributed to the poor.

Mohan has worked 8 years for the United Nations in the Peacekeeping Dept. as an auditor. His expertise in logistics is preparing the way for 15 more container shipments to Iraq. Some will be going to war torn areas such as Fallujah to assist the work of our Marines. Your financial contributions are making this a reality.

2004.01.30 by

Assisting Basrah

Through GCH’s health care development program in Iraq, GCH ships regular containers of supplies and equipment to hospitals and clinics across the country. The Basrah Teaching Hospital and Medical Center is a medical institution that has partnered with Giving Children Hope and receives regular deliveries of medical aid. Below is a brief history of the hospital’s establishment.

In 1957 King Faisal II suggested to the Iraqi Construction Council that a teaching hospital should be built in Basrah prior to the establishment of a new medical college. The Iraqi Construction Council approved the king’s suggestion and issued a statement saying that “a new hospital will be built in Basrah in the near future”. The construction of the hospital began after nearly two years, in 1959. This delay was due to the 1958 revolution under the leadership of President Abdul-Karim Kasim.

The location of the hospital was planned to be by the Shatt al-Arab waterway in the area called Al-Khura (nowadays called al-Barada’iya) in the southern part of Basrah. Because of the political fluctuations in Iraq since 1958, the completion of the hospital building was unfortunately delayed for twenty years. Finally, the hospital building was completed in 1979 and opened to the public in the same year, one year before the start of the Iraq – Iran war. During the war the hospital building suffered severe damage. For that reason, in 1987 the hospital was moved from the original building on the river bank to Al-Zubair (20 kilometers away from the centre of Basrah).

At the end of the Iraq – Iran war in 1988, and after superficial maintenance had been carried out on the hospital building, the hospital was returned to its original location. A number of maintenance contracts were performed on the hospital buildings between 1988 and 1999, but none of these repairs were sufficient to bring the hospital building up to a satisfactory condition. In 1999 the International Red Cross started a two year project to repair the hospital buildings, and this work finally brought the hospital up to a condition that enabled it to serve its patients properly.

2009.01.30 by

Doctor Exchange

Giving Children Hope persists in the development of a fully functioning and ongoing Continuing Medical Education (CME) program. The purpose of CME is to facilitate an exchange of information and knowledge between American doctors, hospitals, and universities, and their Iraqi counterparts. This exchange is especially crucial, as the Iraqi medical sector has been ravaged by years of wars and sanctions, creating not only a shortage of medicines and equipment, but also preventing physicians in the country from accessing the latest in medical technologies and practices.

In the past year, GCH has been responsible for enabling three Iraqi physicians in the fields of reconstructive plastic surgery, neuro-surgery, and orthopedic surgery, to train and observe surgeries at prestigious universities and hospitals in Southern California. With this essential groundwork set with high-ranking Iraqi doctors, CME is ready to expand by sending, for the first time, American physicians to Basra, while also welcoming more Iraqi doctors to the United States.

On December 12th, 2005, three American physicians will travel to Basra to observe and participate in pediatric spinal surgeries at local medical facilities.
Dr. Zuhair Fathallah

Then, in January 2006, five Iraqi physicians, to be selected by Dr. Zuhair Fathallah, designated representative of CME and approved by Dr. Thamer Hamdan, Chairman of GCH., will attend a four week advanced medical training course at the University of Southern California. Dr. Hamdan has also been invited to be a distinguished speaker at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons in D.C.

2004.10.14 by

Aid & Development

The war in Iraq has resulted in many deaths and injuries; and the suffering continues to this day. Hospitals lack the medical supplies and equipment to help the needy. Giving Children Hope has been at the forefront of providing humanitarian aid to Iraq, but there is still so much yet to be done.

We are very grateful to Dr. Kaye Wilkins and Dr. James Roach for their willingness to take a journey to Iraq. On December 11, 2005, Dr. Kaye Wilkins and Dr. Jim Roach, pediatric orthopedic surgeons, began two days of travel from the United States through London and Kuwait City, eventually arriving sixty miles south in the Iraqi city of Basra. Because of its location, just above the Gulf of Arabia and just below the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Basra has historically been an important center for Islam, commerce, and education. Dr. Wilkins and Dr. Roach came at the invitation of Professor Thamer Hamdan M.D., Chairman of Giving Children Hope- Basra and Dean of the Basra School of Medicine.

Proud Iraqi doctors showing they had voted.During their visit the Iraqi people held a historic vote for their new parliament. This experience with democracy is unprecedented in Iraqi history; seventy percent of the eligible populace participated. Everyone seemed to participate with enthusiasm and proudly displayed their ink- stained fingers.

After Dr. Wilkins and Dr. Roach reached Basra they were treated as esteemed guests before beginning their work of evaluating 100 patients in the Orthopedic Clinic.

The children had extremely interesting and challenging conditions that varied from probable malignancies to complex congenital anomalies, such as this child with Maffucci’s syndrome.

Both Dr. Wilkins and Dr. Roach were very impressed by the knowledge displayed by the orthopedic residents. The residents vied for the chance to answer questions, and they demonstrated superb understanding of the patients’ diagnoses and path physiologies. For the next three days the American doctors examined patients and lectured. At night their Arabic hosts honored them by preparing for their enjoyment the finest Arabic cuisine.

Dr. Wilkins and Dr. Roach left Iraq having made several key observations. They felt that the people in the south are courageously committed to controlling their future. Security during the vote was provided solely by the Iraqi Army and police without any visible sign of the British Coalition Force. At every checkpoint encounter the Iraqi forces seemed professional and capable. Non-terrorist criminal activity, such as kidnappings for ransom, continues to be a concern; but the Army’s ability to confront terrorists, at least in the Basrah area, is improving daily, as is the local police’s ability to fight common crime. Medical care is hampered from a lack of technology, but not from any lack of knowledge on the part of medical community. Orthopedic societies in other parts of the world can support the reconstruction of Iraq medicine by hosting visiting Iraqi surgeons and, as the area becomes secure, being willing to go to Iraq to teach.

The doctors were very moved by the kindness and appreciation shown to them by the Iraqi people and look forward to returning to Basra next year for more scientific and cultural exchanges.

Co-Founder of Giving Children Hope traveled to Basra, Iraq to meet with Dr. Thamer Hamdan, Dean of the Basra Medical College and his family in April of 2004 and in September of 2005.

Basra Medical University

Dr. Hamdan introduced Giving Children Hope to the faculty of the first year dental school, the President of the University and the Governor of the Southern Province, while presenting her with a medallion of the Basra government for her humanitarian efforts in Iraq.

We were able to examine research that had been conducted concerning mental health. Plans were made with the newly formed nongovernmental organization Giving Children Hope-Basrah to facilitate Continuing Medical Education and the delivery of essential medical aid.

We visited the hospitals and saw the victims of cancer – small children who were dying without appropriate medications, families that were grieving because another surgery had to be canceled – she felt compelled to tell the story of a lost generation where hope is only a flicker. She met with doctors who have been in a vacuum for the last 12 years and are longing to further their medical education. They are not angry with America, but grateful for the freedom they could exercise when voting.

We are grateful for the partnerships that have been established with Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America (POSNA), University of Southern California Medical Center, Orthopedic Specialties Institute, St. Joseph Medical Library (Orange, CA) University California, Irvine (Department of Chemistry) and University of Washington Medical Center, (Seattle), as we continue to reach out to the people of Iraq. We sincerely appreciate the mutual cooperation that has been established in the medical and research community both in the United States and in Iraq. We look forward to building bridges of trust for all future endeavors and giving hope in the days ahead. As we share knowledge, understanding and friendship, our hearts and minds are joined with a glimpse of a brighter tomorrow. Thank you for your participation.

2005.12.01 by