Letter of Support to Family and Friends

October 30, 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

As all of you know, our lives have been one of transition over the past year and a half - both professionally as well as personally. Starting with our move from Southern California to Nashville, TN, my transition from self-employment to full-time employment at Vanderbilt University, moving from two households into one and all living under the same roof again, having Meghan leave our home and embark on her college journey to Seattle, then back "home" to Los Angeles for the current school year. Hunter leaving everyone and everything he has ever known back in Southern California and moving to TN with an awesome attitude, and Susie moving for the first time away from the comfort and familiarity of her West-Coast home, family and friends to our new South-Eastern home (with no coasts or family anywhere in site!). With all the change and turmoil we have felt very blessed for all that God has provided to our family.

I am now getting ready to embark on another incredible opportunity that I have always wanted to do, but have never had the chance. As most of you know, children's ministries have always held a special place in my heart, which is why I've chosen to specialize in pediatric perfusion. On November 5th, I will be traveling to Kenya on a humanitarian effort sponsored by World Medical Mission, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse. A group of physicians and medical staff from the pediatric cardiac surgery team at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and other clinicians fro m acro ss the country will travel to Tenwek Hospital in the Western Highlands of Kenya, 150 miles from Nairobi and 100 miles south of the equator.

Tenwek Hospital is one of the largest Protestant mission hospitals in Africa and provides primary health care to 600,000 Kipsigis people in the immediate and surrounding areas. Tenwek Hospital has recently built a new Medical Education/Surgical Theatre and the Chief of Surgery has requested Vanderbilt University's assistance in bringing cardiac surgery to this region of Eastern Africa. It has taken a lot of pl anning over the past several months to be sure we have the supplies and personnel that are required to start this open-heart surgical program. Our cardiac team will be working with and teaching the Tenwek hospital staff as we perform 10-15 open heart procedures during our time in Kenya.

As I step outside my comfort zone to do what I do every day in a sophisticated surgical theater here in the US to do the same thing in a foreign country at a location where it has never been done before I ask for your support. Not only will our cardiac team need financial support, but more importantly we will need your prayers. The conditions will be sparse and antiquated as we have pieced together the medical equipment necessary for this endeavor. Our team will need the strength to work long hours, remain healthy, in good spirits and with positive attitudes. The support staff surrounding us at this r emote location will be untrained and therefore unprepared to provide the potential life-saving back-up support we might require should our medical equipment fail. Please pray that we have adequately anticipated our equipment and supply needs for the patients that are relying on us. Please also pray that the heart-lung machine I will be operating and all other life support equipment is safe and in good working order during our time at Tenwek.

You can see photos of Tenwek Hospital and the surrounding areas at the following links: Tenwek.org and http://www.flickr.com/photos/31445611@N02/ I look forward to updating you on my travels and the opportunities I had while in Kenya when I return. If I have computer access while I am in Kenya, I will attempt to do a daily blog (with photos) f or all of you to follow along with me while I am there. I will keep you posted and thank you in advance for your prayerful and / or financial support as I travel to Kenya to give back a little of what I have been blessed with.

Blessings,

Tom