ForHearts Worldwide funds life-saving pacemaker procedures and life-long followup care for patients in need in developing countries around the world.
Every donation, no matter how big or how small, to ForHearts Worldwide is changing lives— not only the lives of patients and their families, but of whole communities who are helped by life-saving care and individuals who are transformed by the spirit of giving.
Giving creates a ripple effect, and every supporter is the stone that sets those ripples in motion.
A Life Saved is Music to the Ears
As the founder of Sailaway Productions and manager of the Sunset Music Festival, one of the biggest electronic music festivals in the southeast, Stan Tipton is not the first person that comes to mind for expertise on pacemaker procedures—and he would be the first to admit it.
“While I don’t have the skills a cardiologist or other doctors may have to save lives, if I can contribute in some way to this, there’s a personal satisfaction that comes from being able to contribute to that,” Tipton says of his support of ForHearts Worldwide. “I’m not looking for fame; I’m just looking to pay it forward, if you will.”
Tipton’s “pay it forward” philosophy led him to a charity event where he first met Benedict S. Maniscalco, MD, Immediate Past Chairman of ForHearts Worldwide.
“I was attracted to their cause and his charisma and enthusiasm for the charity,” says Tipton.
That first meeting over 15 years ago set the ripples in motion that would eventually inspire an entire music community to become part of the ForHearts mission.
The annual Sunset Music Festival (SMF) not only showcases some of the biggest artists in EDM, it is also the biggest annual fundraiser for ForHearts Worldwide. Every year, some 64,000+ festival attendees hear about ForHearts’ life-changing work and how they can be part of it.
“It’s a big fundraiser that contributes a lot of money, and when it’s all said and done, we’ve saved many lives by being able to engage in my commercial enterprise [for] aiding a worthy cause,” Tipton says of the partnership between SMF and ForHearts WorldWide.
The Sunset Music Festival is not the only commercial enterprise that is helping to support and spread the word about ForHearts. Thanks to Tipton, many in the music and event production industries have joined the ForHearts cause, giving of their time and talent as well as donating. Pied Piper Productions is one of those, becoming a valuable partner for multiple ForHearts events, thanks to an introduction from Stan.
“There’s been people out there who have been extraordinarily generous, some very successful business people who’ve been very generous with their funds to this charity. And I think it’s wonderful!” says Tipton. “If we can aid someone in distress, and basically all the people who get these are of modest means, it is a life-changing or life-saving experience for them.”
Having an enthusiasm for giving, a passion for saving lives, and then sharing that passion with others can be just as impactful as writing a check. That can be seen firsthand in the young festival attendees who come for a weekend of celebration but also learn how they can have a global impact by supporting life-saving care ForHearts in need around the world.
“It exposes a whole new generation to the thought of aiding charities, whatever the vision may be,” says Tipton. “I think it’s important that we pass some of life’s lessons on to the next generation, hoping that they will carry on the tradition…that they will give back to the community and the world in a proper fashion.”
Blessed to Serve
“Service Above Self” is the motto of Rotary International. As the former President of the Rotary Club of Manila Bay in the Philippines, it’s a motto that Camilo Ramirez lives daily. When a former classmate reached out to Ramirez about partnering with the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) to support a pacemaker bank, Ramirez’s service mindset instantly kicked in.
“I responded quickly and learned about Heartbeat International Foundation (now ForHearts Worldwide) from Dr. Rogelio Tangco, an interventional cardiologist and Chief of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at UP-PGH,” he says.
That was 2005, and by 2006, Heartbeat International Foundation of the Philippines was serving our first patients. That connection between two school chums created the ripples of giving to secure needed donations and support for our lifesaving work in the Philippines.
“Rotary participation was needed in order to secure the franchise to receive pacing devices,” explains Ramirez. “Our Rotary Club has spread ForHearts in the Philippines. From one Heart Center in Manila, there are now three Heart Centers.”
These Heart Centers are aligned with some of the largest medical centers in the Philippines, each with a commitment to providing for patients in need. Explains Ramirez:
“The first is in the Philippine General Hospital, the biggest charity hospital operation in the country’s capital city run by the University of the Philippines. The second is in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, in Central Philippines, another government tertiary hospital in the nation’s second biggest city. The third is in Manila Doctors Medical Center, also in Manila, a private institution with a strong Corporate Responsibility Program.”
Seventeen years of work and support, three Heart Centers established, and more than 568 lives saved!
“Our next target is 1,000 patients in five years,” says Ramirez.
The impact of saving just one life is immeasurable, but 568 lives saved, 1,000 lives saved?! It is why supporting ForHearts is so important and how Ramirez feels his support is making a difference in the world.
“Life is regained after a pacing device is implanted,” he says. “A life saved and made productive once again certainly makes a difference in a family. ForHearts is quite a noble cause.”
To anyone considering supporting this noble cause, Ramirez encourages that they find their “why” by considering how they’ve been blessed. “Those who are blessed with good fortune and good health can give back,” he says.
Camillo Ramirez has found his “why” in ForHearts: “I have made ForHearts a life commitment. Call it my own Personal Social Responsibility work. I am most thankful for the opportunity to serve.”
How will you be the change ForHearts in need? Explore our donation opportunities.