A paediatric cardiac centre in India is up and running thanks, in part, to a Soroptimist partnership.
The Crosby club has a friendship link with Soroptimist International Jesi in Italy. The Italian club has connections in Raipur (Chhattisgarh, India) and passed on details about the proposed cardiac facility.
The Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani hospital in Raipur is a charitable hospital dedicated to the treatment of children suffering from heart defects and disease. Its services are free.
The hospital hoped to set up a homograft bank which would provide organs ‘on site’ for its patients. This would massively improve services for the children.
In 2019 a group of doctors led by Dr Marco Pozzi, Consultant Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon based in Ancona, Italy, devised a fundraising campaign involving Rotary International clubs.
Denise Pozzi, of SI Jesi, drew the project to Crosby’s attention. Would Crosby Soroptimists support them with a donation towards the development of the centre? Yes, was the response.
The official opening ceremony of the Homograft Bank was held in late 2022. It took a huge effort to raise the funds – $182,000 – thanks to over forty Rotary clubs, Kiwanis and the two Soroptimist clubs.
Margaret Davidson, President of SI Crosby, said, “The news that this life-changing facility is at last operational – and that Crosby Soroptimists played a small part in the project – is excellent.”