In October 2017, exactly 42 years after the 1st Gift of Life recipient (Grace from Uganda) received her lifesaving surgery, Rood from Haiti was operated on during a Gift of Life International/Rotary sponsored surgical mission to St. Damien Hospital in Port-au-Prince. The Gift of Life Global Network of Caring is now treating over 2,000 children annually through 81 affiliated programs in 79 countries across 5 continents – AND CELEBRATING OUR 30,000TH LITTLE HEART HEALED!!
Brenda Small is the Operations Consultant at Gift of Life International. She assumed this role in 2012.
Brenda was inspired to help children in need with heart disease after her third child was born with a complex heart defect and underwent successful open-heart surgery in her first year of life. Brenda learned of Gift of Life International in 2006 at which time she established Gift of Life Los Angeles where she holds the position of President. Between 2008 and 2012, Brenda volunteered her time to help with Gift of Life International in addition to running Gift of Life Los Angeles.
From 2012 to 2022, Brenda held the position of Director of Operations for Gift of Life International. Today, she continues this lifesaving work as Operations Consultant. Brenda also implemented the Nutritional Program in El Salvador in 2008 which has now provided nutritional support to more than 250 children and their families. Brenda has traveled with many of the Gift of Life training teams and witnessed these precious lives being saved.
