David Graham

December 5, 2009

Members of CardioStart International pay tribute to the life of David Graham, a non-medical volunteer, who recently joined the team to Arequipa, Peru, in September, 2009.   We were saddened to learn of a tragic accident at sea, ending his life on Saturday 5th December, 2009.

Originally from the UK, David came to the USA and worked for a very successful company, Intel, Oregon, USA. After settling there, in the last year he met CardioStart’s Outreach Director, Ms. Diana Scolaro-Cook, a senior pediatric ICU nurse at Oregon’s Health & Science University.

That friendship rapidly grew into a life-long relationship between Diana and David, and led to him joining the mission team. He was pivotally responsible for the building of a kitchen and water supply facilities at an elderly Day Care center, in the remote mountain village of the Colca Canyon, Cabonda Conde, outside Arequipa, Southern Peru. Pictured here, with Diana, he received admiration and accolades from the entire village community and regional authority.

CardioStart International announces that a fund has been initiated by Mr. & Mrs. Victor Carcioppolo and will be established in his memory, called: The David Graham Outreach Fund. Anyone wishing to contribute should send checks payable to CardioStart and marked for the David Graham Outreach Fund. This fund will be used to support CardioStart’s future Outreach Programs.

Dr. Neimer, a volunteer on the Vietnam mission purchased a mission pac from MAP, Medical Assistance Programs. The kit will be split among different teams and be used in the ICU and portions donated to local orphanages.

Written by Ann Clancy-Klemme, RN

My father was my greatest hero and my biggest fan all wrapped up in one. What a deal! He passed along the usual dadisms such as “boys are dumb, school events trump work schedules, lemon drops cure car sickness, taking out the garbage is the man's job, and always keep a dime in your pocket for an emergency phone call" (only moms did the accident/clean underwear lecture). With the same conviction, he shared his belief that it is important to give back what you can…..when you can. A kind and generous man who was appreciative of whomever or whatever entered his space, it was my father who taught me the value of volunteering.