A Message From My Heart...

From Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian

Reader's Digest magazine influenced my life - twice.

In 1977, with a story about a living God.  A heart surgeon
named Denton A.Cooley.  He was glamorous, a pioneer and 
entrepreneur.  Operated on princes, presidents and prime
ministers.  In all, over 75,000 operations.  Founded the 
world-famous Texas Heart Institute in Houston.  

I wanted to be like him.

A 1989 issue I read during my medical internship featured
a neurosurgeon named Tom Peters.  One sentence in his
interview remains burned into my mind:



"I don't accept children dying."

This time, I didn't just *want* to be like him.

I LIVED LIKE HIM.

I too won't accept a child dying.  I made myself a promise.

Anything... ANYTHING that is within my power to prevent it
happening, I will do.


   = = = = = 
   
   
1989 - It was the year I grew up.

When I realized - and accepted - that life is unfair.

1989 was when a 22-year old held my hand as his life ebbed away

1989 was when I lost a loved 8-year old niece to an untreatable
kidney ailment

1989 was when I watched helplessly as a teenager succumbed to
a terrible severe viral infection.

It hurt.  Terribly.  Deeply.

And proved beyond doubt that life isn't fair.

But that's ok.

We just need to tweak the odds - in our favor.

That's what technological advances, evolution - indeed survival
itself - is all about.



Tweaking the odds in our favor.


   = = = = = 
   
   
A child's life is precious.  VERY precious.

It's loss - crushing.  Mind numbing.

It may be Nature's law - but I don't like it.

Never will.

I won't accept a child dying.


Many forms of heart birth defects make survival impossible.

Unless they're repaired.

That's one reason I became a pediatric heart surgeon.

Apart from the challenge, the technical, intellectual and
emotional puzzles the speciality poses its practitioners.

The latter, sadly, creates robots.  Unemotional automatons
that get caught up in their craft, forgetting or ignoring
the human element.  The stress, pain, trauma, helplessness
associated with the problem.

The COST.

Heart birth defects have a unique social dimension.  Young
families, just starting out on their careers and settling
down, with little if any financial cushion, suddenly are
confronted with a daunting choice...

Raise the money - often paralyzingly huge sums - or watch
your child suffer... or worse.


Most of my work online aims to tackle this facet of the
complex problem.

I can - and do - handle the medical and emotional elements.
But alone, I can't help with the financial ones.

That's why I need YOU.

The children do.

And thanks to the heartwarming generous outpouring from a
group of amazing folks, at least 3 children will live.




Without you, they may not have.

YOU have made a difference.

YOU are special.

I'm honored to consider you my friend!

Thank you -- from my heart!



Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian

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