Program in Bergamo, Italy

Since 2000, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund has been sending Palestinian children for free open heart surgery in Bergamo, Italy.  This program was arranged by Dr. Giancarlo Crupi, a pediatric cardiac surgery in Bergamo who has led several humanitarian surgical missions to Palestine through the PCRF to treat sick Palestinian babies with congenital heart disease since 1999.  Dr. Crupi is a member of the PCRF medical advisory board and has worked hard with the Regional Health Authority in the Milan region to accept 20 children with congenital heart disease for life-saving open-heart surgery in Bergamo.  The PCRF covers the airfare for these children, while Dr. Crupi and his team treat these children on a charitable level.

Palestinian Baby has Open-Heart Surgery in Italy
On March 23, 3-year-old Yasser Nabiti from the Nablus village of Zwata in the West Bank had successful open-heart surgery by Dr. Giancarlo Crupi in Bergamo, Italy. Yasser was born with a heart defect and needed life-saving surgery which is not available currently in Palestine. Dr. Crupi has treated dozens of Palestinian and Iraqi children through the PCRF at his hospital in Italy, and dozens more by coming to Palestine to treat children in local hospitals. Dr. Crupi is also a founding member of the International Palestinian Cardiac Relief Organization (IPCRO), which is a branch of the PCRF working to build a pediatric cardiac surgery program in Palestine. Yasser went to Bergamo with his mother Afaf.

Palestinian Refugee Baby Has Surgery in Italy
On September 20, 18-month-old Sedrah Hawach and her mother Samira from the Palestinian Naireb refugee camp in Syria arrived in Bergamo, Italy for life-saving open-heart surgery. The PCRF has been sending many children from the Middle East to Dr. Giancarlo Crupi, the chief pediatric cardiac surgeon who has led several volunteer surgical missions to Palestine and has also treated dozens of babies at his hospital.

Refugee Goes to Bergamo for Heart Surgery
On April 15, 2-year-old Rand Moghamis from the Nairab Palestinian refugee camp in northern Syria traveled with her grandmother Rushiyda to Bergamo, Italy for open-heart surgery, which is not available to her locally. This girl was born with a hole in her heart and will be treated by Dr. Giancarlo Crupi, the head of the IPCRO and a member of the PCRF medical advisory board. Dr. Crupi has treated several dozen children for free at his hospital in Bergamo, and has led many missions to Palestine to save the lives of sick Palestinian children with heart disease.

Iraqi Baby Sent to Italy for Life-saving Surgery
On January 23rd, one-month old Rukayia Jasim from Al-Huriya in Iraq was sent to Bergamo, Italy for life-saving open-Heart surgery by Dr. Giancarlo Crupi. This child was born with congenital heart disease and could not be treated in Iraq. She was transferred by the Italian Red Cross to Italy and will be treated on a charitable basis. Dr. Crupi has treated several dozen sick Palestinian and Iraqi babies in his hospital, and led several medical missions to Palestine over the past few years. He is also the head of the IPCRO.

Palestinian Boy from Syria Has Surgery in Italy
Dr. Giancarlo Crupi, head of the IPCRO and a pediatric cardiac surgeon at Bergamo, Italy, did life-saving open-heart surgery on 15-month-old Yamen Al-Rafaei at his hospital on November 11, 2004. This boy traveled to Italy with his mother Raedah and is from the Al Wafdeen Refugee Camp in Syria. He was born with this heart defect and could not be treated in Syria. Dr. Crupi has treated several dozen Palestinian children for free at his hospital in Italy, and has also led several surgical missions to Palestine over the past 5 years, saving many more lives.

Girl Travels to Italy for Life-Saving Surgery
In mid-May, Batoul Nabiti, 5-years-old, and her mother Afaf from Zawata/Nablus arrived in Bergamo, Italy for open-heart surgery by Dr. Giancarlo Crupi, who is head of the IPCRO and has led several missions to save the lives of scores of Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank over the past 5 years. He has also treated dozens of Arab children for free at his hospital in Bergamo. This child and her mother will be taken care of as well by the local Arab community.

Gaza Boys Get Treatment in Italy
In October, the PCRF continued to send sick children with heart disease from Palestine to hospitals in Europe for surgery that is not available to them locally. Ibrahim Srour, 3 years, and Anas El Khair, 18 months, were sent with their mothers from Gaza to be treated by Dr. Giancarlo Crupi in Bergamo the first week of October.

List of Other Children Treated so far in Bergamo, Italy:

1. Khadijah Safi, 12 years, from Yarmouk RC/Syria.  She had cardiac surgery in May, 2001.
2. Nouraldeen Al-Halabee, 2 years, From Gaza. She had cardiac surgery in July, 2001.
3. Noor Nmrooty, 2 years, from Sheikh Radwan/Gaza.  She had TOF surgery in January, 2002.
4. Nesreen Abu Shanab, 12 months, from Shujiyah/Gaza.  She had heart surgery in January, 2002.
5. Wessam Musleh, 3 years, from Ramallah.  He had debanding and closure of VSD in February, 2002.
6. Bara' Shanan, 8 months, from Gaza.  She had cardiac surgery in March, 2002.
7. Anas Abu Amra, 2 years, from Gaza.  She had cardiac surgery in March, 2002.
8. Jinan Eqdemat, 4 years, from Hebron.  She had cardiac surgery in July, 2002.