Variety Children’s Lifeline was founded in 1982 with the sole mission of providing medical assistance to children with treatable and survivable heart conditions in developing countries where the appropriate medical facilities, expertise or resources do not exist. Lifeline’s primary focus continues to be pediatric cardiac surgeries, but also provides medical care in the areas of pediatric neurosurgeries, cranial-facial procedures, neo-natal clinics, general clinics, pediatric rehabilitative medicine and plastic surgeries for children.

To date, Variety Children’s Lifeline has completed over 500 surgical and clinical missions to 55 countries, treating tens of thousands of children through its most cost effective volunteer program.

"In 2008, Lifeline is conducting 40 missions to 22 countries - that is one mission every nine days!"

Lifeline’s medical mission teams include volunteer cardiologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists and intensivists, as well as other critical medical staff including perfusionists, respiratory therapists and nurses, none of whom receive any financial compensation. The Lifeline mission teams travel to correspondent country public hospitals, leaving a rich resource of medical knowledge, as well as equipment, with the goal of building a self-sustained local medical program.

"In 2008 Variety Children’s Lifeline funded children from 10 different countries to travel to the
United States and Israel to receive pediatric cardiac surgeries."

Each year over 1,000 children undergo life-saving cardiac surgery or non-invasive cardiac care; approximately 200 receive cranial facial surgeries; 75 receive neo-natal interventions; 250 receive nutritional care; and several thousand receive pediatric clinical care. This accomplishment is a testament to the committed medical personnel who volunteer their services to the Lifeline program and to the generous donors who ensure that Variety Children’s Lifeline will be able to continue saving the lives of the world’s children.