Art Giving Hope

Hello to all you fantastic people who have supported ArtGivingHope.org (formally ArtForOUR.org) over the last few years. To-date, we have raised $121,000 to fight human trafficking around the world by way of several different amazing organizations.

As many of you know, I am a foot and ankle surgeon by trade and have been involved in the specialty for 18 years. During this time, I have been feeling the tug in my heart to use my professional skills for a charitable cause.

A week ago, I found myself on-call at a local hospital. I was called in (as I often am) to help evaluate and save the leg (if possible) of a kind elderly Polynesian woman from Samoa. She had been told by 2 other surgeons that the massive infection stretching from her toes to her knee made it impossible to save her leg. She had refused an amputation in her home country and had flown to the U.S. for help. Due to the amazing individuals who have trained me over the years in ways to save an infected leg like this, we were able to perform an emergent surgery and stop the infection. She is recovering well today and is progressing to start walking again soon.

Many, many of my patients over the years have been affected by diabetes which has resulted in chronic costly wounds, infections, and amputations of their feet and legs. This is a massive problem for many people, especially, in the Polynesian island nations of Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji. I have been hearing bits and pieces from some of my colleagues participating in medical missions to these Polynesian islands where the problem of diabetes has reached an incredibly serious level. Fiji, for example, is reporting an amputation due to diabetes every 12 hours. Medical professionals and the resources to combat these issues are almost nonexistent or severely lacking in these areas. If only my colleagues and I, who have the training to stop this, could do something about it!

Recently, I met HopeForDiabetes.org, which aims to eradicate diabetes in the Polynesian nations, helping them solve this problem and become self-sufficient in their health care needs. They can carry out several medical missions to Tonga and Samoa each year with ZERO % overhead. All involved are professionals and experts that donate their time and skills and pay their own way for the missions. Funds raised are used to create educational materials and purchase needed medical supplies for surgeries and wound care.

My team at ArtGivingHope.org has decided that in the year 2024 we will begin focusing our fundraising efforts completely on supporting HopeForDiabetes.org. Our goal is to support several medical missions to Tonga, Samoa, and possibly other nearby countries to help fight the diabetic amputation and early death problem by aiding in needed limb salvage surgeries, providing diabetic wound treatment, and supporting prevention education etc.

I sincerely hope that you will stay with us and join us in this new cause!

Because of our personal knowledge of the people who run and support HopeForDiabetes.org, we will be able to verify that every dollar raised will be used effectively and responsibly. I will be one of the surgeons going on these medical missions as well as several of my partners whom I trust and rely on professionally. I give my personal guarantee that your donations and support will be used in the best possible ways. We are currently able to provide $10,000 dollars of services and medical/surgical care for every $1,000 donated. I am unaware of any organization that is so efficient and can stretch every dollar so far.

Thank you in advance for your support and donations for this new cause in the new year!

Donations can be made at ArtGivingHope.org

More details to come! Thank you!!

Dr Dan Preece