MEL AND SYLVIA CHEATHAM - TWO PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Melvin L. Cheatham – neurosurgeon, member of the Board of Directors of Samaritan’s Purse and of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of California (Los Angeles) Medical Center, and, most importantly, humanitarian.  Dr. Cheatham gave up his very successful neurosurgical practice so that he and his wife of 53 years, Sylvia, could volunteer their time doing relief work around the world through World Medical Mission, the medical arm of Samaritan’s Purse. 

Dr. Cheatham speaks nationally and internationally on humanitarian relief work and is special assistant to Dr. Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan’s Purse.  He is the author of four books:  “Come Walk With Me,” “Living A Life That Counts,” "New Every Morning," and “Make A Difference,” each book focusing upon our need to bring humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations of the world, has received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree and is past President of the California State Neurosurgical Society and a past President of the Western Neurosurgical Society as well as co-editor of an internationally renowned surgical textbook. It’s no surprise that he has received prestigious awards from both the American and California Associations of Neurological Surgeons.

Both Mel and Sylvia are proud members of the Rotary Club of Ventura who have devoted the last 26 years to serving those less fortunate around the world. They were jointly awarded Rotary District 5240 "Humanitarian of the Year" Award by former Governor Deepa Willingham. The Cheatham’s have performed surgery to save the lives of wounded and suffering people around the world – often in the most war-torn and poverty-stricken nations.  In the 1990s Mel trained Sylvia as his surgical assistant.  With her at his side, he has worked in over 40 nations around the globe including Bosnia, Croatia, Rwanda, Kosovo, Somalia, Zaire, Uganda, Kenya, Korea, Siberia, and Sudan.

In the spring of 2010, Mel Cheatham worked with Franklin Graham, the eldest son of Dr. Billy Graham, in responding to the earthquake in Haiti with a rapid-response medical team.  Dr. Cheatham leaves next week on his 21^st diplomatic visit to the DPRK (North Korea).  This closed society on the northern side of the 38^th parallel is steeped in suspicion, paranoia and blind devotion to their late Great Leader, Kim Il Sung.   Yet in his many visits to North Korea, Dr. Cheatham has cultivated a vital relationship that has improved communication between the governments of our two countries while also supplying vitally needed medical supplies and equipment.

A personal thought frequently expressed by Dr. Cheatham as he speaks nationally and internationally is that, "Life becomes full when you begin to give it away."  With this as a personal philosophy, coupled with their strong Christian faith, Mel and Sylvia Cheatham continue to live their lives as medical and diplomatic volunteers, at work in a world of incredible need and of ever-present danger. Mel and Sylvia have shown that with grit and determination, anyone can make a difference at any age!