Heroes
Uplifting our children is a combined effort of many generous individuals, companies and foundations. Below are some of our heroes, who have helped save the lives of craniofacial children through their own unique ways.
American Housing Foundation & Ashley Furniture Homestore
WCF is the beneficiary of 5 fully-furnished apartments in Dallas thanks to American Housing Foundation (AHF) and Ashley Furniture. Not only do our children face several visits over time to doctors, the visits can sometimes last weeks or months. In these cases, the apartments serve as a home away from home for our craniofacial patients and their families requiring long-term stays for medical care. Our two international fellows, who are at Medical City Dallas for one year, were also able to bring their families and make two of the apartments their temporary homes. WCF is extremely grateful for the generosity of Steve Sterquell, President & Executive Director of AHF, and Shelley Levitz, CFO of Ashley Furniture Homestore.
T. Boone Pickens
The T. Boone Pickens Foundation awarded WCF with a $100,000 grant to establish a specialized craniofacial center and team at Austral Hospital, a state-of-the-art facility in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the necessary support to conduct such complex procedures. WCF is now able to purchase the necessary operating room essentials, such as an anesthesia machine and surgical table.
WCF is partnering with Dr. Martin Chavanne, the chief craniofacial surgeon at Austral Hospital, and Dr. Diego Steinberg, who is currently in Dallas for a clinical fellowship at the International Craniofacial Institute. These talented surgeons will be the core of the craniofacial team for the WCF Argentina center.
South America desperately needs a craniofacial center where children, like Agostina Martinez and Yamila Soria, can receive timely, cost-effective treatment. With a fully dedicated craniofacial center, more children will have the opportunity for dramatic and often life-saving procedures.
Running for Catrin
When our daughter Catrin died in February 2007 getting through the weeks and months that followed was the hardest, most painful time for us as a family. Most of the time I didn’t even want to try and survive without her, but, as well as Catrin, we have a wonderful son called Evan, who was four years old at the time. He is an amazing little boy and always knows how to lift our spirits and has handled his sister’s passing and his family’s grief with amazing compassion and maturity. For him, we knew we had to be strong and keep going.
My husband Geraint became very depressed and where as I had a good network of friends that I could offload on, he found it more difficult to express his feelings. As it was approaching our daughter’s second birthday, his depression became worse. I thought it would be a good idea to try and do some kind of fundraising event in order to turn her birthday into something positive and a way to celebrate her memory – rather than it be a dreaded date. A friend suggested Cardiff Half Marathon, which is in October near Catrin’s birthday. Geraint thought it was an excellent idea – we now just needed a suitable charity.
We looked into lot of children’s charities, but they didn’t seem to have a strong enough link to Catrin. At the time I was a member of an online forum, where parents with children with craniofacial abnormalities talk and I asked if anyone had any ideas. It was then we learnt about WCF. I sent an email with our story and we received such a lovely reply – something just felt right, we knew we had found the right charity. Reading the newsletters and the stories online confirmed this feeling. This was what we were looking for. It was the right link to Catrin, our daughter. We feel as a family she hasn’t died in vain, she can go on and help other children and families. This in itself gives us an enormous sense of peace.
Geraint threw himself into training, joined our local running team ‘The Brackla Harriers’, and did well in the Cardiff Half Marathon. He has the running ‘bug’ now and has made some very good friends at the club. It has definitely given him something positive to focus on, and he is a different person to what he was last year. He always asks Catrin for her support before a race and really feels that she gives him the strength to do well.
We have had such lovely support from WCF and Evan has loved seeing his picture in the newsletter. He likes the updates on the children, as well, and it will definitely always be an issue close to his heart.
Amanda Dunbar
The World Craniofacial Foundation hosted an art exhibit and auction by internationally recognized young artist Amanda Dunbar at the Belo Mansion. Dunbar Studios graciously offered a percentage of the sales from the exhibit to benefit the Foundation’s efforts in providing advocacy and care to children with craniofacial abnormalities. In addition, the spotlight of the event will be the auction of an original work generously donated by Amanda Dunbar with 100% of the winning bid going directly to help the children served by the Foundation.
Amanda, who grew up in Allen, is one of the most intriguing and collectible young artists in the art world today. At age 13 and with no previous art instruction, Amanda began painting images beyond her life experiences with the techniques and skills of a professional. Ten years later, she is an artistic phenomenon whose colorful palette and bold brushwork capture her experiences, passion and empathy. Oprah Winfrey and an entire population of previously art apathetic people are recognizing something significant in this amazing young artist. At age 24, Amanda is the youngest woman on record and only painter to be recognized with the Texas Governor’s honors and inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, which reflects on the competence, accomplishments and ethics of this young woman.
