As an international organization dedicated to helping children with congenital heart defects, we encourage parents who suspect their child has a heart ailment to contact their local pediatric cardiologist so that their child may be properly examined. Gift of Life International receives hundreds of requests per year for assistance from parents, Rotarians and interested humanitarians. In order for us to properly process these requests and find help for those children who meet our criteria, we need the following information:

The Gift of Life International protocol was developed to determine which children we can assist:

• A child 18 years of age or younger
• Diagnosis of the child’s cardiac condition by a pediatric cardiologist
• Office letter from the pediatric cardiologist with complete history and physical examination.  The letter should also include: height and weight, previous surgeries, other non-cardiac conditions, family history of congenital heart disease, vital signs, O2 saturations, and recommendations by the pediatric cardiologist
• DVD of the echocardiogram performed by the pediatric cardiologist (GOLI requires the actual DVD in NTSC, MP4, VOP or JPEG format and does not accept printed out images).
• Copies and/or Reports of Chest x-ray and Electrocardiogram

• Copies and/or Reports of other tests like MRI and CT (if done)

• Blood tests for HIV/Hepatitis B/Tuberculosis
• All materials requested must have been generated within the 3 months prior to submittal of request to Gift of Life International
• One of the following heart defects:
  • Patent Ductus Arteriosus
  • Coarctation of the Aorta

  • Atrial septal defect

  • Ventricular septal defect
  • Atrio-Ventricular Septal Defect (AV Canal)
  • Tetrology of Fallot
  • Total or Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection
  • Pulmonary Stenosis
  • Aortic Stenosis

We have developed this protocol based upon the reality that many hospitals are limiting the types of conditions they are willing to accept/treat. We do not want to give false hope or heighten the expectations of parents and their children.

It is also our preference that a medical and a family or community support network exists within the child’s home country to provide follow up care upon his/her return from treatment.

Once the above criteria are met, Gift of Life International will work within its global network to place the child in an affiliated hospital around the world. Additionally, we will work to ensure funding for the operation and care of the child and parent during their stay in whatever city they travel to. The funding of airfares will vary based upon the location of the surgery. Occasionally we are able to have the airfares donated for the parent and child but in some instances the parents are asked to incur this cost.

Our goal is to ensure the fairest evaluation process and provide parents and children with the most realistic expectations once they submit the necessary information to us.