Gift of Life New England, Inc.
A Project of Rotary District 7910
145 Fensview Drive Westwood, MA 02090
Tel: 781-769-3083
Gift of Life – Cut & Color-A-Thon, Monday, November 12, 2007 from 10:00AM to 3:30PM at Sculpture Hair Studio and Day Spa, Needham, MA in honor of Captain Brian Freeman and Charlotte Freeman.
The Rotary Club of Needham and Sculpture Hair Studio and Day Spa are proud to announce a “Cut & Color-A-Thon” this Veterans Day holiday to support lifesaving open-heart surgery for needy children through their Gift of Life to honor Captain Brian Freeman and his wife Charlotte Freeman.
While serving in Iraq, Captain Freeman became aware of an 11-year old boy, Ali, who was suffering from a congenital heart defect and would die without corrective heart surgery. Captain Freeman, a West Point graduate, worked in a Civil Affairs unit helping to rebuild the infrastructure (schools, roads, hospitals, electric, etc). He searched the internet for help for Ali where he found and contacted Gift of Life International in May 2006 and started the process to get Ali the help he needed.
That process, getting correct diagnostic records, finding a hospital to accept Ali’s case, getting visas and passports, took almost 8 months. Throughout that entire time, Captain Freeman was relentless in his pursuit to help Ali. On the day he obtained the passport for Ali and his father, insurgents kidnapped and killed Captain Freeman. Even in her darkest moment of grief, Charlotte, Brian’s young wife, reached out to Gift of Life and asked that it follow through on Ali’s case .She also expressed her wish to be involved when Ali and his father, Abu Ali, came to the United States.
Ali was successfully operated on at Schneider’s Children’s Hospital on Long Island. Charlotte, her 18-month old daughter Ingrid, her 3-year old son Gunner and Brian’s mother Kathy all met Ali and Abu Ali four days after his surgery. Charlotte reflected: “Brian was always trying to help people…he wanted to make a difference…he wanted to leave something positive in Iraq and make his time there mean something. It was just the kind of person Brian was.”
Now Charlotte is working with Gift of Life to continue the work her husband started. Chromastics, a hair coloring company in New York, is sponsoring the “Cut & Color-A-Thon” in salons throughout the country during the week following Veterans Day. “When we met Charlotte and heard her story, we knew we had to do something” said Tom Dispenza, President of Chromastics. Locally, Sculpture Hair Studio and Day Spa, an elite salon located at 1078 Great Plain Avenue in Needham, MA, is participating by holding a Cut & Color-A-Thon on the Monday, November 12 together with the Rotary Club of Needham. Sculpture Hair Studio and Day Spa is donating 100% of the proceeds from all salon and spa services performed for women, men, and children that day to Gift of Life New England. Gift of Life, in turn, will provide life-saving heart surgery for needy children around the world.
In commenting on the event, Charlotte said, “It is gratifying to me to see Brian’s passion to help others continue. Being involved with helping children through Gift of Life is helping us mend our hearts as well.”
To schedule an appointment for November 12, call Sculpture Hair Studio at 781-453-2901. Walk-ins are also welcome. For further information about Gift of Life, contact Barry Friedman () or visit Gift of Life, New England, Inc. at www.golne.org.