FOR CHILDREN’S HEALTHY FUTURE
Hasmik Harutyunyan

AZG DAILY
02-12-2009

Heathy life

World Children’s Transplant Fund was founded in 1988 when former
Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Mark Kroeker, moved by
the story of an Argentine child Veronica dying of liver disease,
started fundraising efforts for a life-saving liver transplant. The
child was flown to Toronto, where after three operations, she died.

Mr. Kroeker then launched WCTF, and made its mission to establish
Transplant centers in regions around the world where they were most
needed. The WCTF has established two pediatric organ transplant
centers in Costa Rica and Argentina, and in 2001 the Armenia branch
of WCTF opened.

The foremost problem was the passing of a respective law that would
legalize surgeries and transplantation operations. The draft law
was introduced to the Parliament and finally the first ever Law on
Transplantation was passed in March of 2002.

"When in 2002 the Vice Chairman of the WCTF Board Tom Hennings,
Country Supervisor Valerie McCaffrey and Board Member Bill Mauger
visited Armenia I was very touched to see how generous it was
of them to cross the ocean, give their time voluntarily just for
helping Armenian children to have a healthy life. I am so proud to
be acquainted with these wonderful people", said Executive Director
of the Armenian branch of the World Children’s Transplant Fund Maria
Yeganian in her interview to the "Azg" newspaper.

"Besides, it is essential to change our nation’s mindset about this
complex issue. Each of us must realize that everybody can have input
in the pursuit of saving someone else’s life. This simple truth
must become natural for us in order to have certain achievements in
this area".

The Armenian branch has organized many conferences and interviews
with the purpose of educating people regarding the issue. Besides,
two concerts entitled "The Armenian Stars for Children" have been
organized and with the help of the funds received from the concerts
two children underwent surgery for eye transplants. Today the main
goal of the fund is to retrain Armenian doctors in transplantation
field and to increase the level of their professional competence.

This project will continue and two doctors will soon be sent to Los
Angeles for participation in the 6-months training course.

There is no special hospital for transplantation in Armenia, the
country is not a member of the International Donor Bank and there
are also some deficiencies in the legal field. The project should
also receive some state support in order to create a solid pediatric
transplant organ Center. The World Children’s Transplant Fund is a
unique and special organization. Its mission is to provide as many
opportunities as possible for life-saving pediatric transplant surgery
to the children of the world.