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Donation to help NMI’s special needs kids
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Posted on Jun 06 2006
Soon more children with special needs will be moving around the Commonwealth with ease due to a donation of wheelchairs, braces, special shoes, canes and crutches. The items are a gift from Shriners Hospital for Children-Honolulu, the REPAC Foundation, and Continental Airlines.
Following the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures meeting on Saipan, the assorted items will be given to the Commonwealth Health Center on June 7.
“Shriners Hospital has been providing orthopedic care to children of the CNMI at no cost for many years. Unfortunately once the children leave our facility to return home, it’s often challenging for us to provide for their changing equipment needs,” said Cindy Tamayo, Shriners rehab manager. “We are thrilled that through our association with REPAC we can provide this equipment to the very special children of the Northern Marianas.”
Shriners is building a new hospital in 2007 and to prepare, they needed to find a new home for some of their extra medical equipment. Two weeks ago, Tamayo contacted Reach out Pacific, a non-profit foundation, which takes surplus medical and educational supplies from Hawaii to Micronesia.
“What a perfect solution. We are keeping these devices out of the landfill and taking them to an area where there is a great need,” REPAC president Glenn Waki said. “Continental Airlines was quick to donate cargo space. This great partnership will benefit the kids of Saipan.”
The official donation of wheelchairs, braces, canes and crutches will be held on Wednesday, June 7, 11:30am at the CHC.
Shriners Hospitals for Children Honolulu has provided free, world-class orthopedic care to more than 23,000 children from Hawaii and the Pacific Basin since 1923. To quality for care, a child must be less than 18 and possess a treatable orthopedic disorder or disability.
REPAC was established last year and interfaces with the Ayuda Foundation out of Guam. Both organizations are part of the APIL. (PR)
