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 ince more than 80,000 Nicaraguans lost their homes and possessions during Hurricane Mitch last fall, few have had medical assistance beyond Band-Aids and Tylenol. Early this year, Emory Healthcare and other WSB-TV Family 2 Family underwriters, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Atlanta Braves distributed more than $50,000 worth of critically needed oral antibiotics and 10,000 pounds of clothing to residents of Leon, Nicaragua.
There were many heroes in Emory Healthcare's rescue mission, including infectious diseases specialist James Steinberg, who coordinated donations of most of the antibiotics from Ortho-McNeil (a division of Johnson & Johnson) and from Heart to Heart International. The relief effort was truly an Atlanta community venture. Braves pitcher Dennis Martinez, a native of Nicaragua, headed the project. The Atlanta Hawks transported relief supplies in their private team plane. Family 2 Family underwriters (Southwire, A&P, SouthTrust Bank, AirTouch Cellular, and Emory Healthcare) worked for weeks to raise money and secure donations. "Many Nicaraguans are forced to be players in a waiting game where only the strongest will live to see relief," says Emory Hospitals' Rashel Stephenson, who coordinated Emory's involvement in the effort and represented Emory and Family 2 Family on the trip. "Their sole source of hope comes from faith that people like us - people who have the power to make a difference - will take just a moment to look into their eyes and see themselves." |
 
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Web version by Jaime Henriquez.