Joint Mission to Romania Planned

In mid-January, Joanne McGuire, CardioStart’s Administrative Director, met with Vanessa Cummings, Director, and Michael Coretchi, Project Coordinator, of F.R.O.D.O. (Foundation for the Relief of Disabled Orphans) in London to continue planning for a joint mission to Romania.  F.R.O.D.O.’s goal is to improve the quality of life for physically and mentally disabled orphans in developing countries and would work with CardioStart to provide desperately needed cardiac care and surgery to these children in Romania. A scout mission by a joint team from both charities is scheduled for early June 2008.  They will review the facilities available in the target hospital in Romania, as well as discuss the objectives and priorities for a full medical mission that is tentatively planned for later this year.  This is an exciting opportunity for both organizations to extend their help to vulnerable Romanian children with heart problems.

A Volunteer's account in Florida:

"Hello my name is Kit Moretuzzo. I am a friend of Joanne McGuire, we met through church. She told me about her new job at CardioStart and about all the medical supplies CardioStart receives from All Children’s Hospital. I offered her my assistance, since I am an RN. I thought I would just go there and tell ‘somebody’ what all the things were and be done.

Well, that is not quite how it worked out. On a steamy hot August afternoon, I came to the warehouse on Hartford Street in Tampa. The place was so crammed full with boxes and medical stuff that you could not see the walls or the back for “stuff”. I was so discouraged by what I saw that I decided just to give my advice that afternoon and be done. Well, I am still working in the warehouse a couple of days a week. The mission pictures on the wall in the house followed me for the next week. I had to go back. Two weeks later I was hooked. My mind kept on working overtime, "if we get this packed, we can move these boxes over here" and so on.

First Time Participation at Brandon Health Fair

On Saturday, March 8, 2008, CardioStart participated in the 2008 Health Fair in Brandon, Florida.  Sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce, CardioStart hosted a booth highlighting our mission and showcased the work of our volunteers.  The latest DVD attracted many interested people and several signed up to volunteer their services at our headquarters. CardioStart’s participation was possible due to the financial support of two of our Tampa volunteers. It was a wonderful way to increase awareness of our humanitarian services in developing countries as well as to attract additional local support. 

For surgical nurse, time off means time to help others on international medical missions

Reprinted from The Chicago Daily Herald by Eileen Daday, photo by Bob Chwedyk, 3/26/08 

By day, registered nurse Jodi Gunther works in Northwest Community Hospital's intensive care unit, in the high-pressured world of cardiovascular surgery.

But she looks forward to another assignment, in an equally challenging setting: her upcoming medical mission trip to the mountainous region of Peru.

For the sixth time, Gunther of Island Lake will travel with a team of medical professionals organized by CardioStart. They will return to the city of Arequipa, Peru, located in the southwestern part of the country, in the shadow of the Andes Mountains.

First Annual Volunteer Appreciation Night

CardioStart’s volunteer team in Tampa is growing by leaps and bounds as word of our work spreads. Recently, CardioStart held its First Annual Volunteer Appreciation Reception honoring those whose efforts are helping make our vision a reality. 

Moving On

CardioStart warmly acknowledges with deep gratitude the work and support given by Dawn Pancottine, Trustee, who has now retired from the charity.  Dawn gave several years of support, bringing a wealth of experience in charity work and a deep personal interest in relieving the plight of disadvantaged children in the orphanage work CardioStart's non-medical volunteers do.