Interplast Ambassador Extraordinaire

Interplast Australia by District 9650 Interplast Chairman (2004-2005 & 2005-2006) Barry Hacker.

Editor's note: The District Directory has Peter Shea as Chairman for this committee but it should read as Barry Hacker. Barry has done a great job in promoting Interplast and this was clearly demonstrated at the 2004-2005 District Assembly in Armidale this year, I personally was very impressed by the efort put into the Interplast display. Barry is also serving as Club Service overall Chairman 2005-2006.

Approximately 30 years ago, an American Plastic surgeon by the name of Dr Don Laud went to Mexico. While he was there, he saw a small boy living in a chook house. Why was he locked away in a chook house? Well it was because he was born with a Cleft Lip and Palate. In some countries these unfortunate people are treated as outcasts. They are regarded as an embarrassment to the family. So they are lock away out of sight. On finding this young person living in the chook house, Dr Laud arranged to take him back to Stanford University.

Following this experience, Dr Laud set up a program called Interplast America. Interplast meaning International Plastic Surgeons.

A plastic surgeon from Melbourne volunteered his services and went on one of the American projects. He was so impressed with the program, he came back to Australia and introduced the idea to Australian Rotarians. In 1983 the first team from Interplast Australia went to Samoa fully funded by Australian Rotary Clubs.

Since its beginnings in Australia, Interplast programs have been extended to include; Papua New Guinea, The Phillipines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Interplast Australia is set up as a company limited by guarantee. It has a Board of Directors consisting of Rotarians, 3 members from the Australian College of Surgeons and one independent member.

To date more than 500 volunteers have conducted over 300 programs, comprising over 23000 consultations and more than 13000 operations. Due to the seriousness and dangers involved, more than 40 patients have had to be brought back to Australia for their operations.

2005 is a very special year for all Rotarians. This is the year we will celebrate 100 years of service. Your District Governor would like us all to remember 2005 by doing something special in celebrating our centenary.

This Rotary District has never sponsored an Interplast Team which consists of two plastic surgeons, an anaesthetist and a nurse who are all volunteers. The cost in sending a team outalong with their medical equipment is $32,000. This represent only $600 per Rotary Club in this District or less than $19 per Rotarian.

A Past President of Rotary International was once asked why he was a Rotarian. He answer was, “ as a human being I can not do everything for everyone everywhere, but as a Rotarian I can do something for someone somewhere.”

A donation of $600 from each Club in this District will change the lives of at least 50 unfortunate people. People who would have been treated as social outcasts for the rest of their lives. Unless all 56 Club take part in this program this District will not be able to sponsor a complete Interplast Team.