The Polish Gift of Life Inc, a non-profit organization, is fundamentally a group of volunteers who came together to find ways to bring assistance and support to Polish children in need. Neither the members nor the administrators are compensated.

The vast majority of our resources come from private donations. These funds allow us to not only continue the 29-year long tradition of bringing children from Poland to the U.S. for corrective heart procedures, but also to provide assistance for hospitals and orphanages in Poland. And though not all of us have Polish roots, we are unified in our cause.

Caroline Kowalczyk – President

Yvonne Polak – Vice President

Priscilla Szachacz – Treasurer

Wilma Wierbicki – Recording Secretary

Ella Strzepa - Correspondence Secretary

Ted & Jadzia Gapinski

Anna Hodyl

Thomas Hodyl, M.D

Joseph Hodyl

Waclawa Hodyl

Jolanta Jacues

Vickie Johnson (deceased)

Megan Kasnicki, M.D.

Wiesia Kasnicki

Jean Komorowski

Henry Golis

Stanley Kowalczyk

Ewa Kozakiewicz

John Krol

Rosemary Krol

Phyllis Marcin (deceased)

Stephanie Palasek

Peter Papiewski

Yvonne Polak

Zofia Proniewska

Vickie Ratkowski

Mary Sadowski

Frances Saramak

Mary Saramak

Suzanne Saramak

Lynn Schaefering

Steve Szachacz

Florence Vaskas

Erica Volker

Laura Wierbicki

Wilma Wierbicki

In May of 1978, Dr. Stanislawa Dymnick of Poland met Dr Zoltan Mesko of the United States at the International Cardiologic Conference in Budapest, Hungary. It was there that she addressed the issues of inadequate healthcare for children in Poland with particular stress on corrective procedures.
 

Upon returning to the United States, Dr Mesko brought the issue to the attention of the Polish-American community. This meeting sparked the beginnings of the Polish Gift of Life. The organization officially began in Albertson, NY in October of 1978.
 

Phyllis Marcin (deceased) 
Anthony & Frances Ratajczyk (deceased)
John & Wanda Senko
Donald (deceased) & Sophia Short
Irena Piszczatowska (1st president) (deceased)
Jadwiga & Ted Gapinski
Walter Kalinowski  (deceased)
John Tucholski  (deceased)
Mary & John Sadowski (deceased)
Sabina Obarowska - (deceased)
Regina Kujawa-Kowal

It is our mission to aid in the war against the deficiencies of medical system in Poland by bringing medical and financial assistance to the Polish children who would otherwise go without. We at the Polish Gift of Life understand that our cause is only a part of the solution but through our efforts, we hope to bring awareness to the problems these children face.