History
History
Projeto Pró Criança Cardíaca - A Project of Social Responsibility.
1996 to 2006
Founder and Director: Rosa Célia Barbosa – MD
What is Pró Criança Cardíaca
A medical work of social responsibility directed to look after the needy children with heart problem with focus on cardiac surgery.
After five years leading a medical team specialized in looking after children with heart problem and working in a very well equipped hospital – Hospital Pró-Cardíaco, I found it was a proper time to extend those facilities to the unprivileged children.
There was the birth of Projeto Pró Criança Cardíaca.
How did it come about
In 1999, due to the great difficulty I was having to attend the growing number of needy children in my clinic, I went to the BNDES (The Brazilian Development Bank) for help. We were given enough financial support to buy a building, refurbish it, buy furniture and medical equipment, To conclude the project we were given support by the Pró Criança Cardíaca Patron - Dr. Antonio José de Almeida Carneiro and from AMIL – Medical Insurance Group.
In 2001 the Pró Criança Cardíaca moved from my private clinic to its headquarter, wich allowed us, not only increase the number of children seen in the out patient, but also initiated the dental assistance and increase the social services as providing medicine and food to take home.
2006 - We celebrate the 10th. anniversary having assisted thousands of children and performed hundreds of open heart surgeries. In spite of the incredible success of our work the number of children queuing for heart surgery is significant. The bed space we have right now can not cope with this number .
We, therefore, are moving for the construction of The Child Hospital (O Hospital da Criança).
The Child Hospital (O Hospital da Criança)
Objectives
. To continue the work developed by Pró Criança Cardíaca
. To guarantee financial sustainability of Pró Criança Cardíaca
. Increase significantly the number of surgeries carried through per year
. Dedicate 40% of beds for occupation for the poor children taken care of by Pró Criança Cardíaca
The approximate cost of the investment is BRL 20 million (U$ 10 million) of which we already raised BRL 2.6 million (1,200 million), which corresponds to the building acquisition.
We are also pleading with the BNDES (the Brazilian Development Bank) for an investment of BRL 8 million (3.7 million) (40% of the total cost) by the Bank’s Social Fund.
We are confident on the continuing support of this Institution, which already sponsored the acquisition of our headquarters in 2001 and, we hope, will be honored to help guarantee the sustainability of such a vital project for the state of Rio de Janeiro.
We rely on a group of sponsors which support the project.
Even if the BNDES support the Hospital project, we still will need a lot of financial support to build The Child Hospital (O Hospital da Criança).
Our children can not be punished for being poor. It’s our responsibility lo look after them.
Often, during those difficult moments in which I feel I'm begging endlessly and swimming against the current I ask myself – why? It's not vanity. It's definitely not for money, let alone power. Then why? From deep within the heart comes the answer: It's not fair that I have gotten so much out of life while others got close to nothing. It's not fair that I have acquired so much power while others are powerless. I can only give thanks by sharing, serving and humbly pleading on behalf of those bereft of almost everything. The path of serving is infinite. To serve is to free oneself and to care for the Human Being.
Rosa Célia Barbosa – MD.
Founder and Director of Pró Criança Cardíaca