Healing the Children

Posted by Todd Malkin 
on Aug 06, 2012
 
Pamela DePompo, Executive Director of Healing the Children New Jersey recently visited The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn to speak about the important and necessary services Healing the Children provides to children in need Healing the Children® New Jersey is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides donated medical care to children in need throughout New Jersey and internationally. HTCNJ envisions a world where every child has access to medical care.  Healing the Children® New Jersey was founded in 1981 and is based in Hawthorne, NJ.  Healing the Children® is a national organization founded in Spokane, Washington in 1979 to provide donated medical care to needy children. Today, there are 13 chapters across the country.

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Pamela shared with Fair Lawn Rotarians 2011 accomplishments of her organization; Healing the Children New Jersey  helped 58 individual children whose diagnoses included autism, bipolar disorder, cerebral palsy, congenital cataracts, cystic fibrosis, hearing loss, Hirschsprung’s disease, spina bifida, ulcerative colitis and visual impairment. HTCNJ collected and provided over-the-counter medications, personal care items, books, toys, apparel and gift cards to organizations serving pediatric oncology patients (The Valerie Fund at Newark Beth Israel Hospital and St. Joseph’s Pediatric Oncology Department) and medically fragile children with complex medical histories and developmental disabilities (The Wanaque Center and the Voorhees Pediatric Facility) .  Medical Teams Abroad: HTCNJ traveled to La Romana, Dominican Republic; Ica, Peru; San Pablo, Ecuador; and Hue, Vietnam. Nearly 1,000 children were evaluated; 217 received surgical care.  International Inbound: HTCNJ coordinated with local families to host 23 children from 10 countries: Afghanistan, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Panama, Philippines, Ukraine and Vietnam.  International Aid: Dominican Republic: HTCNJ provided prescription eyeglasses to 7 children and prescription medicine to 1 child.  They also collected and distributed over-the-counter medication, vitamins, diapers, dental supplies and personal care items to Hogar Immanuel Orphanage in Cangrejo, home to 22 children with disabilities.  Ecuador: HTCNJ collected and distributed children’s multivitamins and toothbrushes to a children’s clinic in San Pablo.  300 new eyeglass frames were donated via Hawthorne Lions Club.  Medwish received a donation of assorted medical supplies for international medical trips.  A child received prescription medication in Nicaragua and another child in Uganda was provided hearing aids.

Information about Healing the Children New Jersey can be found at their website: http://htcnj.org/