18 years
later, now a member of the musical group Backstreet
Boys, Brian faced
surgery to repair the hole in his heart. Prior to
the surgery, Brian and his family came to Saint
Joseph Hospital to express their desire to
establish a fund that would help children with
heart problems. The Brian Littrell Healthy Heart
Fund for Kids was created at the Saint Joseph
Hospital Foundation, Inc. Brian
expressed to his fans worldwide his desire that
they might show their concern for him at the time
of his surgery by means of gifts to this newly
established fund. Throughout 1998 and 1999, the Saint Joseph
Foundation
received thousands of letters and packages from
Brian's fans around the world, many of them with
small sacrificial gifts to help other kids.
Also in 1999,
an oversight committee was formed to consider the
type of program the Brian Littrell Fund should
offer to kids. The committee is made up of three
physicians, several nurses, and others, including
Jackie Littrell, Brian's mother.
After months
of meetings, research and planning, the program
is very close to starting the first session for
kids. Physicians on the oversight committee will
contact all Pediatricians in Fayette County with
information about the parameters of the program
and invite them to refer children who meet the
profile. Entry into the program will require a
medical referral.
The program
will offer education, exercise, nutrition and
perhaps rehabilitation for children with an
established medical need, such as congenital
heart problems, or those at risk to develop heart
conditions.
The program
will consist of 8-week sessions led by nurses,
physical therapists, nutritionists, exercise
physiologists, and other health professionals.
The program coordinator is Ann Jones, M.A., an
employee of Saint Joseph Hospital.
There are
currently enough funds to get the program
underway. Future funding will continue from
several sources: gifts from the Littrell family, sales of
merchandise
such as T-shirts, and direct contributions from
the public. For more information on donations, click here.
Here's an
item of trivia for Brian Littrell fans:
What
geological event occurred in the summer of 1980
when Brian was a patient at Saint Joseph
Hospital?
Answer:
an earthquake rocked the hospital and the
surrounding area. Kids on our 6th floor felt it.
all the information is taken
from Brian's healthy heart club official site.
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