11-year-old girl from Uganda becomes 50,000th patient saved through 'Gift of Life' organization
ROSYLN, Long Island (WABC) -- A special milestone was celebrated Tuesday at a hospital on Long Island that consistently provides life-saving surgery to children in need through the generosity of the "Gift of Life" program.
The gratitude that brought an 11-year-old girl to St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn from Uganda is a gift that keeps giving... at least 50,000 times to be exact.
"Really you have given me a smile on my face... a second chance for my daughter to live," said Bridget Nakazibwe, the mother of 11-year-old Brilliant Phillipah.
Phillipah was born with a heart defect that could have taken her life. But now, she's thriving after a short procedure at St. Francis Hospital with Dr. Sean Levchuck.
With her procedure, Phillipah became the 50,000th patient saved through the organization, Gift of Life. Dr. Levchuck alone has saved nearly 800 children over the course of 30 years, including children from Ukraine, Russia, Gambia and more.
"It's been a great run. I hope I've got another 30 years left in me, maybe. Who knows," Dr. Levchuck said.
Each year, 1.3 million children are born with a congenital heart defect, and much of the rest of the world has no access to cardiac care.
It's why the Gift of Life is now a global network, but the very first patient, nearly 50 years ago in 1975, was a girl named Grace Agwaru. She's now a thriving adult, also from Uganda, and was also brought to St. Francis, where a moment of gratitude witnessed by others changed everything.
"Her dad at the airport, collapsed in my arms and kept crying 'thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,'" said Gift of Life President Robbie Donno.
"And we were so moved by that, that we were then asked to sponsor child number two," said John Kennedy of Rotary Club of Manhasset.
They haven't stopped since, and probably won't. The next patient, 8-year-old Salim from Azerbaijan, is already here.
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