More Contacts Made...

Thank you to all of you OU readers who are now following this blog! I appreciate you checking in on our adventure.

The key to success, I have discovered, is finding contacts in the countries that we are trying to set up our non-profit operation. And yesterday I think I found our contact in London. Until he agrees to help our operation, I will keep his identity hidden. But he is an Oklahoman who is a successful architect in London. So, we are to meet with him in London next Friday.

We also have a contact in Italy through OU and our plan is to meet with him next Thursday to see how we can make magic happen in Italy as well.

It reminds me of how we established our operation in the Dominican Republic, specifically Santo Domingo. Through just telling our story in the D.R. and in the United States to as many people as possible, dots became connected on their own. We owe a huge thanks to Kerrie Brinkman Green, who works in the development office of Price College of Business. Kerrie is also a friend of mine from High School and neighbor of Craig Gavras. Kerrie suggested that one of her sorority sisters was related to an influential family in Santo Domingo. She made the initial introductions and I was offered an hour by the family in Santo Domingo to tell them our story of Limbs for Life.

As it turns out, they are one of the most influtential families in all the Dominican and they not only gave me an hour, I ended up spending the whole day with them. It seems most people have family or know of someone who has been affected by a loss of limb. This family was the same and the were looking for a cause to support. Franklin and Brenda Leon have been fantastic supporters of Limbs for Life. But more than that, they are fantanstic people. I have enjoyed getting to know them better as I have visited them several times since my initital visit. We have started fitting impoverished Dominican's with prosthetic limbs with their help in the "triangle strategy" we have set up with ADR, a clinic that also helps the very poor in the Dominican. Without the Leon's family's help, it would have been very difficult to set up our strategy. Besides the triangle strategy, our foundation is working with the Leon family to establish a foundation that will help even more Dominicans. It has gone past my expectations and I am so grateful to the Leon family.

I also have to thank Kim Willis, one of my dearest friends and another OU grad, who has been such a big support for me and our project. Kim took a trip with me to the Dominican and she actually ended up staying for almost a month discovering the culture and visiting many of the towns and cities of this beautiful country. She told our story to many on her travels and was able to help set up contacts for us on the north side of the country as well. More than anything, she has been a great friend...listening to my challenges and offering suggestions and just being there at all times of night and day.

There is a high amputee rate in the Dominican Republic because of motorcycle accidents and gun accidents. Most can't afford insurance or medical coverage, so the hospitals are forced to amputate. The main mode of transportation for the entire population in the Dominican are motorcycles. And I discovered that in the Dominican, they have traffic "suggestions" not traffic laws. In fact, I never drive when I am there because of the danger. That's just part of life there. The citizens obviously have adjusted and learn to drive in the chaos.

We have a contact in Paris who is in the television business in France. He has asked to remain anonymous and we will respect that. He is also an OU graduate and has been an incredible resource for our venture into Europe. Our friend in Paris has set up many meetings with leaders and government officials. From what we have learned, the French government is attempting to help their former colonies in as many ways as possible and that would mean supplying prosthetic limbs to these countires in the Middle East and Africa as well. So, our impact may end up going beyond Europe and into the Middle East and Africa if the right strategy can be discussed this next week.

What I have also learned during my experience is that other countries do not move as fast as we Americans do. It took almost two years before our operation was working in the Dominican and I expect it will take time in Europe as well.

But as a passion of mine and my colleagues, we will adjust to the host countries culture and understand how they live their lives and conduct business. We are guests in their country and will do everything we can to help their citizens.

Only two days before we leave! Plenty of time to prepare!